Researchers from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Arizona have discovered a significant decline in the number of words spoken aloud to others. Between 2005 and 2019, verbal communication decreased by nearly 28%, a trend that has likely intensified in the aftermath of the pandemic.

The study meticulously tracked our verbal habits, starting with an average of 16,632 spoken words per day in 2005. By analyzing data across 22 studies, involving over 2,000 participants who recorded their daily conversations, researchers observed a sharp drop due to the rise of app-based interactions, increased texting, and a shift towards digital communication. By 2019, the average daily verbal output had plummeted to about 11,900 words.

According to the Wall Street Journal, this decline raises alarms about its psychological impacts. Beyond contributing to loneliness and susceptibility to conspiracy theories, it appears we’re also losing essential conversational skills, such as the ability to engage without interrupting.

The findings indicate that younger individuals are slightly more affected. Those under 25 years old saw a reduction of 451 words per day annually, while individuals over 25 experienced a decrease of 314 words. Overall, the average annual decline was 338 words per day. If this trend has persisted, our daily word count could now be below 10,000.

Despite the concerning trend, Valerie Fridland, a linguistics expert at the University of Nevada, Reno, reassures us that there’s time to change course. Simple actions, such as parents engaging more with their children, installing a landline, and taking periodic breaks from smartphones, could help reverse this trajectory, as she shared with the Wall Street Journal.