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Americans are saying 28% fewer words to each other and 75% of the young don’t talk to their neighbors — blame Silicon Valley

Nypost · 🇺🇸 public United States · · 746 words · By Andrew McDiarmid
Social Isolation Technological Determinism Generational Decline
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What to know about Social Isolation

Americans are saying 28% fewer words to each other and 75% of the young don’t talk to their neighbors — blame Silicon Valley See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 11
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center83%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Americans are saying 28% fewer words to each other and 75% of the young don’t talk to their neighbors — blame Silicon Valley See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google In his 1919 poem “The Unknown Friends,” American poet Edgar Guest wrote that “each one of us has friends that he / Has yet to meet and really know.” But what happens when Americans no longer want to meet and really know each…

Common ground

The data tell us that Americans are quite literally speaking to each other less.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Causal Oversimplification, Scapegoating: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/23/opinion/why-are-americans-speaking-28-fewer-words-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Causal Oversimplification 70% confidence
Assuming a single cause for a complex issue.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing causal oversimplification helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Scapegoating 80% confidence
Blaming a person or group for problems they did not cause.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing scapegoating helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 3
check_circle Corroborated 3
verified Verified By Reference 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 1
info
Claim 1: “in 2012, 51% [of young adults 18-29] reported social interaction with their neighbors at least a few times a week. By 2025, that number had dropped to 25%.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The Florida Daily source mentions that those aged 18 to 29 saw a 'larger drop' than older adults, but the specific numbers (51% to 25%) are not explicitly detailed in the provided snippets, though they align with the context of the AEI data mentioned in Claim 4. No second independent source confirms these specific percentages.
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web search NEUTRAL — In 2012, the regularity of social interactions with neighbors looked similar between married and unmarried adults (60 percent vs. 53 percent).
https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/strangers-next-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Featuring a user-friendly interface and regular updates, cocoktanamabg is your ideal partner for leisure activities. Watch and Download at no cost or for free in the best quality found online.
https://kenalin.shop/top-10-abg-smp-viral-on-social-media-in…
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web search NEUTRAL — Keywords: gathering of neighbors on porch, social interaction in residential area, family gathering on porch, adults and children socializing, outdoor residential gatherings, community interaction in …
https://www.tiktok.com/@__monserratte/video/7458828615820512…
verified
Claim 2: “A recent survey discovered that almost 10% of all Gen Zers say they had zero face-to-face interaction in their daily life.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While evidence mentions Gen Z loneliness (Oxfam survey) and a general decline in face-to-face interaction, no source specifically confirms the statistic that 'almost 10% of all Gen Zers say they had zero face-to-face interaction in their daily life'.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A generation is all of the individuals born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively. It also is "the average period, generally considered to be about 20–30 years, during which childre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generation Beta, often shortened to Gen Beta, is the proposed name for the demographic cohort succeeding Generation Alpha. The name was coined by futurist and demographer Mark McCrindle, who also coin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Beta
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generation Z, often shortened to Gen Z and informally known as Zoomers, is the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-la…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 3: “data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the average time spent socializing per day has fallen from 41 to 35 minutes in the last 10 years.”
CORROBORATED
The 'Mind Matters' article explicitly cites BLS data showing a fall from 41 to 35 minutes. Another search result ('Daily Socializing Falls to 35 Minutes') corroborates the 35-minute figure and the source (BLS).
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web search NEUTRAL — On top of that, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the average time spent socializing per day has fallen from 41 to 35 minutes in the last 10 years.
https://mindmatters.ai/2026/09/americans-are-saying-28-fewer…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics.
https://www.bls.gov/
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web search NEUTRAL — Americans are spending significantly less time with other people than they did 20 years ago, with average daily socializing time dropping from 45 minutes to 35 minutes, according to the U.S. Bureau of…
https://newsmv.com/news/daily-socializing-falls-to-35-minute…
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Claim 4: “A 2025 American Enterprise Institute survey revealed that only 40% of Americans report talking to their neighbors regularly (at least a few times a week), down from 59% in 2012.”
CORROBORATED
The Florida Daily source explicitly confirms that in 2012, 59% of Americans spoke to neighbors regularly, and 'Today' (referencing the current context of the article) that number is 40%. The AEI source is also linked to this data.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, known simply as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), is a center-right think tank based in Washington, D.C., that researches governmen…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Enterprise_Institute
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Arthur Charles Brooks (born May 21, 1964) is an American author and academic. Brooks is the Kohler Family Professor of Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University and a senior fellow at the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Brooks
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Charles James Kirk (October 14, 1993 – September 10, 2025) was an American right-wing political activist, entrepreneur, and media personality. He co‑founded the conservative student organization Turn…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Kirk
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 5: “A study published that year [2012] from researchers at the University of Maryland drew a connection between mobile phone use and antisocial behavior”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute the existence of a 2012 University of Maryland study linking mobile phone use to antisocial behavior.
schedule
Claim 6: “In his 1952 book “How to Talk to People,” speech expert Irving Lee wrote that “people can stand some coaching in the arts of talking together.””
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 7: “In 2019, research out of Britain showed that digital conversation between Britons outpaced in-person communication.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is explicitly stated in the 'Mind Matters' article. However, other search results discuss digital communication generally but do not specifically confirm a 2019 British study stating digital conversation outpaced in-person communication.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 100 Great Black Britons is a poll that was first undertaken in 2003 to vote for and celebrate the greatest Black Britons of all time. It was created in a campaign initiated by Patrick Vernon in respon…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Great_Black_Britons
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cartimandua or Cartismandua (reigned c. AD 43 – c. 69) was a 1st-century queen of the Brigantes, a Celtic people living in what is now northern England. She is known through the writings of Roman hist…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartimandua
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Great Britons is a television series that was broadcast by the BBC in 2002. It was based on a television poll conducted to determine who the British people at that time considered the greatest Britons…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britons
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 8: “Researchers discovered that AI affirms users’ actions 49% more often than humans, “including in cases involving deception, illegality, or other harms.””
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding AI affirming user actions 49% more often than humans.
verified
Claim 9: “A March 2026 study demonstrated that the number of words the average person uttered fell by 28% between 2005 and 2019.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence contains travel destinations for 2026 and death lists, but no mention of a study regarding the number of words uttered by the average person. The claim mentions a 'March 2026 study', but no such study is found in the search results.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of notable deaths in March 2005. Entries for each day are listed alphabetically by surname. A typical entry lists information in the following sequence: Name, age, country of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_March_2005
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following notable deaths occurred in 2026. Names are reported under the date of death, in alphabetical order. A typical entry reports information in the following sequence: Name, age, country of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2026
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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 16, 2026 · From romantic escapes and family summer vacations to affordable getaways and bucket-list experiences, we’ve gathered the best places to visit in summer all in one place. These summer tr…
https://globaltraveldiary.com/summer-vacation-destinations/
+ 2 more evidence sources
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Claim 10: “In July, tech startup Friend launched a new iteration of its controversial AI necklace, designed to talk back to lonely users.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the launch of the 'Friend' AI necklace. Mind Matters specifically mentions the July launch of a new iteration designed for lonely users, and Wikipedia/Web search confirm the product's nature and founder.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 15.ai was a free non-commercial web application and research project that used artificial intelligence to generate text-to-speech voices of fictional characters from popular media. Created by a pseudo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15.ai
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Friend (stylized as friend) is a wearable artificial intelligence device released by a startup company with the same name. Avi Schiffmann, a Harvard University dropout, designed and released its first…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend_(product)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — OpenAI is an American artificial intelligence (AI) public benefit corporation (PBC) headquartered in San Francisco, California. It develops proprietary generative AI models, particularly its generativ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAI
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 11: “Every day, more than 360 billion emails are sent and 27 billion texts are exchanged.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific figures (360 billion emails and 27 billion texts) are reported in the 'Mind Matters' article. Other sources provide different numbers (e.g., 250 billion emails, 23 billion texts), meaning the specific claim is only supported by one source.
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web search NEUTRAL — Every day, more than 360 billion emails are sent and 27 billion texts are exchanged. Billions of posts and comments are made on social media every day. To make matters worse, this content is increasin…
https://mindmatters.ai/2026/09/americans-are-saying-28-fewer…
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web search NEUTRAL — The brain, with its 100 billion neurons, wired together by more than 500 trillion connections, is considered the most sophisticated piece of equipment.Texting – More than 23 billion texts are sent dai…
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-mind-boggling-demands-your…
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web search NEUTRAL — over 250 billion emails are sent every single day.
https://www.lifewire.com/how-many-emails-are-sent-every-day-…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.