According to Experts.news, the number of words people speak in everyday life has decreased significantly over the past decade and a half, which could potentially affect social connections, psychological well-being, and communication at work, according to a study by psychologists at the University of Missouri–Kansas City and the University of Arizona.
According to the study, published in the scientific journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, between 2005 and 2019, the average number of words spoken per person decreased by approximately 338 words per day with each subsequent year of observation. As a result, the estimated decline over the entire period was about 28%.
The study is based on data from 2,197 people aged 10 to 94 who participated in 22 research projects conducted primarily in the United States, as well as in Mexico, Australia, and Europe. The assessment relied on periodic audio recordings of the participants’ natural daily lives, rather than their own recollections of how much they spoke.
In an earlier 2007 study using a similar methodology, the average person spoke about 15,959 words per day. In a later combined sample, this figure had dropped to about 12,792 words.
The researchers observed the most pronounced decline among young people. For participants under the age of 25, the number of words spoken decreased by approximately 451 words per day for each year, while for those over 25, it decreased by approximately 314 words. Thus, the rate of decline among young people was approximately 44% higher.
The authors did not identify a specific cause for this trend. The study period coincided with the rapid spread of smartphones, social media, messaging apps, email, and other forms of written digital communication; however, the researchers emphasize that the available data do not allow them to prove that technology itself was the cause of the decline in conversation.
The researchers also point out that texting does not necessarily fully replace the psychological and social functions of face-to-face conversation. Voice communication involves intonation, pauses, emotional cues, and immediate feedback, which are more difficult to convey through text.
The authors link this issue to a broader trend toward increasing social isolation. Previous studies show a consistent link between loneliness and a decline in various indicators of physical and mental health, although a reduction in the number of spoken words has not yet been proven to be the direct cause of such outcomes.
On September 10, Fast Company highlighted the potential implications of this trend for business. Talia Varly, a physician and corporate health specialist, notes that a decline in face-to-face conversations in the workplace potentially means fewer informal interactions among employees, fewer opportunities to discuss problems and voice dissent, and weaker bonds within teams.
In her view, small daily interactions are particularly important—a brief conversation with a colleague, discussing an idea outside a formal meeting, or a few minutes of casual conversation. Such interactions may seem insignificant on their own, but they are precisely what gradually build trust and social bonds within a team.
The rise of remote work and artificial intelligence may further alter the structure of communication. Digital tools allow for faster information exchange and the automation of some correspondence, but at the same time, they can reduce the number of situations in which people need to speak directly with one another.
At the same time, the researchers caution against the overly simplistic conclusion that people need only mechanically increase the number of words they speak. The quality of the conversation, the nature of the relationship, and the social context can be just as important as the duration of the interaction.
However, the study’s authors note that an additional 300 words per day may amount to only a few minutes of conversation—for example, a brief exchange with a neighbor or colleague, or a more detailed response to the common question, “How was your day?”
Thus, the observed decline in conversational activity may be one indicator of broader changes in how people maintain social connections in the age of digital communications. However, further research is needed to assess the long-term impact of this trend on health, loneliness, and productivity.
The National Commission for the Regulation of Electronic Communications and Postal Services (NCCEC) has extended the permit for Ukraine’s largest mobile operator Kyivstar to test Starlink Direct to Cell (D2C, direct satellite communication with a smartphone) technology until 20 April 2026, according to the approved decision.
The document states that testing may continue throughout Ukraine, with the exception of border areas, areas of military operations, and temporarily occupied territories.
The conditions stipulate that the operator must use the 1725-1730 MHz/1820-1825 MHz (2×5 MHz) bands, ensure territorial retreat from the borders with other states in the west of the country, and comply with measures to avoid radio interference with existing users of the radio frequency spectrum, according to the decision.
As reported, testing of Starlink Direct to Cell satellite communication technology, which allows users to exchange SMS messages in the absence of mobile communication but with direct visibility of the sky, became available in November to all Kyivstar subscribers in Ukraine who had compatible smartphones with 4G (LTE) support. The system operates via a network of more than 650 Starlink Direct to Cell satellites.
It was noted that voice calls and mobile internet are planned to be introduced in Starlink Direct to Cell in 2026.
In the third quarter of 2025, Kyivstar served 22.5 million mobile subscribers, which is 3.6% less than a year ago, while the number of 4G customers grew by 2.4% to 15 million.
In the third quarter, the company’s EBITDA profit amounted to UAH 7.1 billion, which is 21.5% more than in the third quarter of 2024, and in dollars, the growth was 20.4% to $171 million.
The main shareholder of Kyivstar Group, with an 89.6% stake, is the telecommunications holding company VEON, which owned 100% of Kyivstar before it was listed on the stock exchange.
The Verkhovna Rada has enshrined the status of English as one of the languages of international communication in Ukraine, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a member of the Voice faction, said in a telegram.
According to him, 236 MPs voted in favor of Bill No. 9432 on the use of English in Ukraine at the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday.
As reported, according to the draft law, the state ensures compulsory study of English and promotes the study of other languages of international communication in educational institutions regardless of ownership.
In addition, the bill stipulates that preschool education institutions provide compulsory English language learning for children of older preschool age. At the same time, preschool education institutions shall ensure the mandatory use of English in the educational process for children of early, junior preschool and middle preschool age.
According to the draft law, a higher education institution has the right to decide to teach one, several or most disciplines, perform individual tasks and conduct control measures in English, which is clearly stated in the description of the educational program upon admission to the university.
The draft law also stipulates that English may also be used in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard as a language of international communication.
The draft law provides for the development and approval of a state targeted program to promote the study and use of English in Ukraine, which, in particular, should take into account the peculiarities of ensuring that cinemas (relevant cinematography entities) show foreign films in English in compliance with the requirements established by the Law “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language”.
The draft law also stipulates that foreign films in English shall be screened on a reimbursable basis by cinematography entities on a voluntary basis, but in compliance with the minimum requirements.
In particular, each cinema hall in which a cinematography entity shows films must hold at least 8 demonstrations (public screenings) of films in English during a calendar month, with at least 2 demonstrations to be held during the week at any time on a weekend or on a working day with the start of the screening after 18:00.
Kyivstar specialists and our partners have done everything possible to restore the network from the consequences of an unprecedented cyberattack for the global telecom.
As of 18.00 on 13.12.2023, our specialists have started to restore voice communication throughout Ukraine. The restoration of services will be gradual, so short-term difficulties are still possible until the end of the day. In this case, we recommend that subscribers restart their phones and disable the VoLTE service in the phone settings.
Currently, the company’s specialists are working to restore data and SMS services and we hope that they will also be restored within a day.
After the network is fully restored and stabilized, Kyivstar will start preparing and providing compensation to all subscribers and corporate clients who could not use the company’s services due to the hacker attack.
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Communications and power supply are still missing in the Ivankivska, Dymerska and Polesie united territorial communities of the Vyshgorodsky district of the Kiev region, previously liberated from occupation, measures are being taken to normalize the situation and restore infrastructure in them, said the head of the Kiev regional military administration Oleksandr Pavlyuk.
“The Vyshgorod, Petrovskaya and Pirnovskaya communities are unchanged, the population is provided with the necessary assistance … Slavutych still needs food and medicine,” Pavlyuk wrote in Telegram on Tuesday.
In the Buchansky and Brovarsky districts, where the fighting took place, demining and clearing work continues. Emergency teams are working to restore water, electricity and gas supply. Law enforcement officers fix the crimes caused by the invaders against the civilian population.
In Obukhovsky, Borispolsky, Belotserkovsky and Fastovsky districts of the Kiev region, according to the head of the regional administration, the situation is calm and controlled. “The sowing campaign continues. Critical infrastructure facilities are operating as usual,” Pavlyuk wrote.
The auction for the sale of frequencies for 5G communication will be held in Ukraine in 2022, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov has said.
“We have already launched research work. Next year we plan to put up frequencies [for 5G communication] at tenders for the operators,” he said during the Kyiv International Economic Forum on Thursday.
According to Fedorov, the active introduction of this communication technology in large cities of the country will begin in two years.
“I believe that at first it will be most relevant for industry, and then large cities, industrial centers will pick up, and gradually 5G will spread throughout the country,” he said.
