Story perspectives

Daily Spoken Words Decline Amid Rising Loneliness Epidemic

4/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

The study by Valeria Pfeifer, Ph.D., and Matthias R. Mehl, Ph.D., finds daily spoken words fell by about 300 from 2005 to 2019, based on audio data from over 2,000 participants.
The decline coincides with loneliness being described as an epidemic in the United States, suggesting social connections may be affected.
Pfeifer and Mehl note digital communication has risen, but further research is needed to understand how spoken language's tone affects relationships.

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Story summary

The study by Valeria Pfeifer, Ph.D., and Matthias R. Mehl, Ph.D., finds daily spoken words fell by about 300 from 2005 to 2019, based on audio data from over 2,000 participants.
The decline coincides with loneliness being described as an epidemic in the United States, suggesting social connections may be affected.
Pfeifer and Mehl note digital communication has risen, but further research is needed to understand how spoken language's tone affects relationships.