We’re All Talking Less… Which Explains A Lot 😶

You know those moments where a headline feels shocking… but also deeply, painfully accurate? This is one of those.

Researchers from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Arizona found that back in 2005, the average person spoke about 16,600 words a day.

By 2019? That dropped to 11,900 words. That’s a 28% decline… or roughly the verbal equivalent of ghosting society.

And That Was Before Everything Went Fully Digital

The study doesn’t even include post-pandemic life, which means the real number today is probably closer to:

“Hey.”
“Yep.”
“LOL.”
👍

We didn’t lose words… we just converted them into emojis and passive-aggressive thumbs-ups.

RELATED: iPhone Users Are Getting 9 New Emojis in iOS 26.4

If Your Phone Tracked Words Like Steps…

Imagine your phone suddenly judging you like this:

• Steps today: 8,000 🚶‍♀️
• Words spoken: 47 😬

Would you go for a walk… or just start chatting with strangers at the grocery store like, “So… bananas, huh?”

Because honestly, some of us would need to hit 10,000 steps AND 10,000 words just to feel like a functioning human.

Why Are We Talking Less?

Let’s roll through the suspects:

• Texting (why talk when you can send “k”)
• Email (where personality goes to nap)
• Social lives online (where you “hang out” by reacting to stories)
• Apps for everything (you can order food, groceries, and emotional support without making eye contact)

We’ve basically engineered a world where you can go an entire day without saying a full sentence out loud.

And That Might Be… Not Great

Experts are a little concerned, because actual conversation is like a mental workout.

When you talk to someone, your brain has to:

• Listen
• Process
• Respond
• Control your reactions

All in about 200 milliseconds.

Meanwhile texting is like: Type. Delete. Rethink your life. Send.

The Younger You Are, The Quieter You Get

The drop is even more dramatic for younger people:

• Under 25: losing about 451 words per day, per year
• Over 25: losing about 314 words

Which makes sense.

If you grew up talking on the phone, you’re still out here saying full sentences. If you grew up with Snapchat… you’re communicating in vibes.

Are We Losing Attention Spans… Or Conversations?

Here’s the twist. Some experts think our shrinking attention spans are making conversations harder. But also fewer conversations might be causing shorter attention spans.

So it’s basically a loop:
👉 We don’t talk as much
👉 So we lose the ability to focus
👉 So we don’t talk as much

Cool cool cool. Love that for us.

We’re not just talking less to our in-laws…We’re talking less to everyone. And honestly, if someone calls you out of the blue now, it feels less like a conversation and more like a jump scare. 📞😳