As we get older, the risk of feeling lonely and isolated goes up. By age 65, people spend an average of 7.4 hours a day alone. This can happen for many reasons, such as living away from family, losing a partner, health and mobility issues, and a shrinking social circle. Plus, let’s be honest, making new friends these days isn’t easy.

Loneliness has become such a big issue that the US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, declared it a national epidemic. Isolation can seriously impact physical, mental, and societal health. It’s a fact that loneliness can be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and increases the risk of early death by 50%.¹

In this article, we’re diving into an option that might surprise you—a virtual space. You’ll have to see if it’s a good fit for you, but this place was designed from the ground up to tackle the isolation and loneliness many older adults face. And guess what? It’s already helping a lot of people overcome these challenges.

First, a Place to Make Friends

The virtual place we’re talking about is Thrive Pavilion. You enter with a VR headset, and unlike an online game, it’s a fully immersive experience where you can interact with others in a realistic, 3D environment, attend events, and join activities that feel like the real thing.

Robert Signore, the creator of Thrive Pavilion, explains: “Our mission is to help older adults overcome social isolation and loneliness, especially those living at home. We do this by creating a vibrant, engaging community in virtual reality where you can make real connections, have fun, and feel part of something special.” Members often find that interacting in Thrive Pavilion feels very real. One member mentioned, “It’s just like you’re with them in person.”

When you join Thrive Pavilion, you get to create and style your own avatar, a digital character in the metaverse that can look like a human. You and other members feel fully immersed in a 3D space, making gestures and moving your heads, just like you would in real life.

So far, this place has about 1,500 members and it seems to be helping aging adults make friends. Let’s explore why it works so well.

Second, Why It’s Working

Sometimes, whether in real life or virtual, it’s easier to meet new people if you’re doing something fun. At Thrive Pavilion, there’s always something fun to do. Members can join a variety of planned activities or even organize their own. But it’s not just about scheduled events—people can hang out and spend time together whenever they want. It’s all about making connections and enjoying each other’s company.

Thrive Pavilion’s calendar of activities is robust, with something going on almost every day. Here’s a sample list of activities:

• Games
  • Bowling
  • Mini golf
  • Bocce
  • Cornhole
  • Card games
  • Jeopardy
  • Escape rooms
• Art
  • Painting and drawing classes
  • Craft workshops
  • Art appreciation sessions
  • Collaborative art projects
• Entertainment
  • Theatre
  • Karaoke
  • Comedy shows
  • Storytelling
  • Health and wellness meditation
  • Exercise
  • Line dancing
  • Coffee hours to hang out and chat
  • Learning new things (e.g., Titanic, Alcatraz, Carnival Sideshow Acts of the Past)
  • Monthly birthday parties