The Number of Words You Say in a Day Is Shrinking

Summary: People are talking way less than they used to. A new study shows the average person speaks about 28% fewer words a day now compared to 2005. That is a huge drop from 16,600 words to under 12,000.

Why the sudden silence? We text more, work from home, and use self-checkout instead of talking to cashiers. While skipping small talk might seem nice, it actually hurts our mental health. Chatting with strangers helps us feel connected and happy. Without these little conversations, we lose our social skills and our sense of belonging in the world.

For more details, see rssapp-time-com at time.com/article/2026/04/28/people-say-fewer-words-per-day/ (opens in new tab)