A study reveals that the number of words people speak daily has decreased

According to a recent study conducted by the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) and the University of Arizona in the United States, people show a significant decrease in the number of words they speak in everyday use. As revealed by psychologists, since 2005, the average number of words a person speaks per day has decreased by approximately 338 words each year.

Researchers point out that as a result, there has been a massive 28 percent drop in the number of words people speak between 2005 and 2019.

This daily decrease is equivalent to nearly 120,000 words lost per person per year, meaning we are losing thousands of human interactions. To reach this conclusion, Professor Matthias Mehl, a psychologist at the University of Arizona, and Dr. Valeria Pfeifer, an assistant professor of linguistics and psychology at UMKC, analyzed data from 22 studies conducted over 14 years, covering regions such as America, Europe, and Australia. Audio data from the daily lives of over 2,000 individuals aged between 10 and 94 years were used for this purpose.

Although the research has not confirmed a specific reason for this decrease in conversation, it coincides well with a period of rapid growth in the use of text messages, email, and social media. This decrease is observed more intensely among the younger population, especially those aged 25 and under, and it is speculated that their high technology usage has contributed to this. Dr. Pfeifer points out that such small changes in daily behavior can accumulate over time and completely change how people connect with each other. She further states that reduced speaking means less time spent connecting with others, and through this, people lose both the immediate emotional benefits of social interactions and the long-term benefits of maintaining strong relationships.

For over 200,000 years, humans have relied on spoken language for communication, and the extent to which relying on written letters and emojis instead of vocal tone, emotions, and conversational patterns affects us is still not fully understood. Scientists are still studying the social costs of shifting towards more digital communication. However, these research findings emphasize society's urgent need to better understand how both written and verbal communications impact human isolation, health, and well-being. (Source: The New York Times)