Voice notes are trending

Have you ever typed “I’m literally dying rn” in the group chat, but worried the words just weren’t enough?

Enter voice notes: Bite-sized audio messages that let you feel like you’re literally dying in the same room as your besties. And, per Vox, they’re more popular than ever.

Perhaps in search of a cure for the loneliness epidemic, Americans are opting to spill their tea verbally:

• 62% of Americans say they’ve sent a voice note at least once.
• 30% say they use voice notes to communicate weekly, daily, or multiple times a day.
• Those ages 18-29 use voice messaging more, with 43% using it at least weekly.

Last year…

… WhatsApp reported that users sent a whopping 7B voice messages per day. The app introduced voice messaging in 2013, and while it’s recently picked up speed in the US, it’s long been popular internationally.

Many find that voice messaging helps them overcome language barriers, with 13% reporting they use it for exactly that reason.

WhatsApp recently added a feature that lets users post voice notes as statuses for their contacts to hear — the recordings can be up to 30 seconds long and disappear after 24 hours.

But these little audio intrusions can be polarizing: People either love ’em, or want ’em gone.

The biggest downside? Typing “LOL” won’t cut it anymore — you really gotta laugh out loud.