Researchers say we talk less than ever before
Smartphones and social networks are replacing face-to-face conversations.
The Verge reports that between 2005 and 2019, the number of words we say out loud when communicating with people decreased by almost 28%.
Researchers at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Arizona literally counted how many words people utter each day by recording audio recordings of their conversations daily in 22 studies involving 2,000 people.
The results showed that in 2005, the average number of words spoken was 16,632, and in 2019, it had already decreased to 11,900 words per day. The changes, as expected, coincided with the time when “life on apps” became the norm – correspondence via messengers, orders and shopping via websites, etc.
These numbers raise concerns about the psychological consequences of reduced human interaction. It’s not just an epidemic of loneliness – research shows that people are also losing basic communication skills, such as the ability not to interrupt another person.
The researchers found that young people are more vulnerable to this trend, although the difference is not significant. People under 25 spoke 451 fewer words per year, compared to 314 for those 25 and older. On average, the number of words we speak each day is decreasing by 338 words per year.
If this trend continues – and given the pandemic after 2019, it is likely that it will – today, our daily word count could drop to less than 10,000 words.
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