Humans speak less each year, which has negative effects even for people who dislike casual conversation.
A study of 2,197 people found daily spoken words declined by 338 annually from 2005 to 2019.
Key points
From The Guardian’s report- A study cited by The Atlantic reports daily spoken words decline 338 per year from 2005 to 2019.
- Sample included 2,197 people aged 10 to 94 wearing devices recording speech.
- The under-25 group showed a larger drop of 451 words yearly.
- Experts warn reduced social interaction harms brain, health, and mood.
- Hilton trend report notes rise of silent travel and interest in quiet retreats.
Why it matters. Experts say reduced social interaction can harm the brain, health, and mood, including among people who dislike casual conversation.
What to watch. Under-25s declined by 451 words yearly, while silent travel and quiet retreats are gaining interest, according to a Hilton trend report.
Coverage
Oldest first · UTCCoverage
Oldest first · UTCSourceThe GuardianUnited KingdomLeanCenter-leftCredibilityRatings: AllSides, MBFCRead at The Guardian“Every year, humans speak less and less. That’s bad news, even if you hate mindless chit-chat”
Why it’s in the Brief
Ranked 8th of 10.
- Starting score
- 5.0
- Public-interest topic
- +1.0
- Public-interest terms in the text
- +1.25
- High-reliability sources
- +0.75
- Score
- 8.0
The ranking is the same for everyone.
Perspective mix. 1 center-left.RatingsAllSides and Media Bias/Fact CheckLean and credibility are curated from their public ratings.Unknown outlets stay unrated, never guessed.