Is face-to-face conversation quietly fading? ^{CEFR B2}

As self-service machines, navigation systems and touchscreen ordering become common, new research suggests ordinary face-to-face conversation may be declining. The study, published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, estimates that people are losing 338 spoken words per person each year. The authors report that the decline has continued for at least a decade and a half, and they derived this conclusion by comparing speech totals across many years rather than relying on a single short-term snapshot.

Matthias Mehl, a psychology professor at the University of Arizona who studies everyday communication, began by attempting to replicate his 2007 Science paper on gender and talkativeness. During that replication he and his team observed a broader, years-long drop in daily speech. Mehl then worked with Valeria Pfeifer, an assistant professor of psychology and counseling at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, who is listed as the study's first author. Together they analysed changes in spoken words and considered the possible effects on social life.

Mehl highlights concerns about social connection and asks why losing a few hundred words per day, each year, could matter more than it first appears. The study raises questions about how shifts in daily routines and technology may change everyday talk. It is not yet clear what long-term effects this decline will have on relationships, work or well-being, and the researchers call for further study to understand causes and consequences.

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