From: CBC News Network
We’re Not Speaking as Much as We Used To — And Scientists are Concerned
April 20, 2026
People aren’t talking to each other as much as they used to, and our gift of gab and our cognition may suffer as a result. Scientists compared the number of words people spoke per day over nearly a decade and a half. Valeria Pfeifer, from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, said they found that in 2019, people spoke an average of about 12,700 words per day compared to 15,900 back in 2005. The decline was significantly worse in younger individuals than older, leading the scientists to suggest the rise in smartphone use and social media may be playing a role. The study is in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science.
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