The idea of the “8-minute call” is making the rounds on LinkedIn. The concept is simple and catchy: a short, friendly call – just eight minutes – can reduce loneliness, lift moods, and maybe even prevent depression. It sounds great. But does it hold up?

Popularized by Simon Sinek, this is the selling point: “At the end of the day, eight minutes of a friend’s time can make all the difference in the world. Best of all, it’s only eight minutes.” [A]

As always, it’s worth pausing to ask: Is this a fact or just another trend?

I recently came across the 8-minute call claim again, so I decided to read the study from JAMA Psychiatry [B]. Intrigued, I read it carefully to see if it actually supports the idea that a single short call makes a measurable difference. And here’s the thing: it doesn’t. 

What does the study show? That a structured program of daily, empathy-focused calls – lasting 10 minutes or more – sustained over four weeks can significantly reduce loneliness, depression, and anxiety in older adults. 

In other words: the benefit came from repeated, consistent, and compassionate conversations, not from a one-off call of arbitrary length about whatever topic.

So no, 8-minute calls are not a magic fix. To my knowledge, there is currently no evidence that a single short check-in, by itself, is enough to improve someone’s mental health in a measurable way.

And this brings me to a broader concern. I get a little uneasy when complex and serious challenges like loneliness or depression are framed as problems with quick, easy solutions. It’s not that small gestures aren’t valuable – they definitely are – but there’s a risk in overselling them. When catchy ideas take off without evidence to back them up, it can lead to misplaced expectations and a lack of investment in deeper, more sustained support.

Put boldly; it’s important that we cut through the bullshit.

That said, I also get the appeal of the 8-minute framing. For some people, let’s just talk for 8 minutes feels a lot more doable than let’s have a chat. I accept the premise that “the concept of the “eight-minute catch-up” has emerged as a practical application of the research.” [A] It lowers the barrier to reaching out. And that matters – especially for those of us who have good intentions but don’t always act on them.

So, what’s the takeaway?

Call someone. Be kind. Reach out. If saying “I’ve only got 8 minutes” makes that easier, then absolutely go for it. But let’s not pretend it’s a treatment for depression or a plug-and-play solution for managers looking to check in with their teams.

Human connection is powerful. But it’s not always fast. And we do everyone a service when we distinguish between feel-good trends and evidence-based practice.