About Talk to a Stranger Week

Talk To A Stranger Week, which takes place from November 18-24, 2024, is intended to raise awareness of the benefits of talking to strangers and give Canadians the excuse and permission to make it happen.

Talking to strangers is a different opportunity to build a sense of connection and belonging that many need in a post-pandemic world. It is seizing the opportunity that many of us have each day to make a difference in our own lives and the lives of others by simply saying hello, smiling or striking up a conversation with a stranger. Our 2021 Canadian Social Connection Survey highlighted that those who said they talked to a stranger just once a week were up to three times happier than those who didn’t speak to strangers. While this finding may seem unbelievable to some, other research suggests that only 20% of Canadians talk to strangers each day and it is nearly 100% of the time that both parties are happy that the exchange happened. We hope all Canadians will hear this message at a time when we continue to work to rebuild a connected Canada after the global pandemic. Many of us are still not as socially connected as we were pre-pandemic, and we hope an excuse like Talk To A Stranger Week may provide another opportunity for Canadians to build healthier connection habits starting today.

Did you Know?

DID YOU KNOW?

Dr. Gillian Sandstrom, a Canadian researcher at the University of Sussex, suggests that a simple chat with a stranger can:

improve well-being
make us happier
increase a sense of connection
improve levels of trust

Her research shows that practicing conversations with strangers for at least a week can reduce the fear of rejection and boost confidence.

Additionally, making eye contact with a stranger can also improve a sense of connection.

Why November?

We chose November for several reasons:

Permission

Launching Talk To A Stranger Week gives all Canadians the excuse and permission to speak to strangers this week and hopefully every day of the year

Upcoming Holidays

The holiday season is a time of the year when stores, streets, and transit reflect the hustle and bustle. By setting the tone at the end of November, we hope to inspire more empathy and compassion by building connections and conversations while understanding that we are all in this together.

Seasonal transition

Fall is an important time to inspire human connections for Canadians, as we are heading into the darker, colder days of winter and the holiday season, when both can lead to greater social isolation, disconnection and loneliness.

Still Recovering

We are still recovering from the global pandemic, and it is important to provide people with knowledge and understanding about the importance of social connections and social health to their mental, physical and societal wellbeing.

"Talk To A Stranger Week is how we can raise the collective consciousness about the power of talking to strangers. We give Canadians from coast to coast to coast the opportunity to give it a try, do it more often or create the healthy connection habit that sees us doing it each day, for our own health and happiness or for the health and happiness of those we connect with."

- Pete Bombaci, Founder & CEO of Genwell