The decline of voice mail highlights the changing communication preferences of society.
Hearing someone's voice has powerful effects on human physiology, reducing stress and increasing oxytocin levels.
Deep dives
The decline of voice mail
Voice mail, a once popular communication technology, is now on the decline. Introduced in 1983, voice mail was widely used by businesses and individuals. However, with the advent of emails and text messages, enthusiasm for voice mail has waned. Major corporations like Coca Cola no longer utilize it, and individuals are using voice mail less and less. People have grown to dislike voice mail so much that there are now apps designed to block incoming voice mails. The decline of voice mail highlights the changing communication preferences of society.
The power of human voices
Scientific research shows that hearing someone's voice has powerful effects on human physiology. Studies have revealed that hearing a loved one's voice can reduce stress hormone levels and increase oxytocin levels, sometimes referred to as the "love hormone." The effects of hearing a voice are similar to experiencing physical touch. Moreover, coma patients who listen to recordings of familiar voices recover faster than those who do not. This emphasizes the importance of not neglecting the voices of the people we love in a world increasingly dominated by text-based communication.
In this story, comedian Cord Jefferson tells a heartfelt personal story and offers up some illuminating science about the power of the human voice. Support for this episode was provided by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/.