Adults in the UK are spending an average of 58 hours a year sending voice notes, with more than a third believing the messages are replacing real-life interactions, according to a new survey. The study of 2,000 adults found they record an average of six voice notes per day, each lasting around 95 seconds.
The research, commissioned by Heineken to promote its 'Could Have Been a Heineken' WhatsApp bot, revealed that 22 per cent of recipients have felt bored listening to a long voice note, while 15 per cent described the experience as a chore. Four in ten regular senders have spent an entire evening recording messages instead of meeting someone in person.
Nearly half (47 per cent) said the number of long voice notes they receive has increased over the past five years, with one in 20 receiving recordings lasting more than ten minutes. Despite this, 88 per cent admitted they have forgotten what someone said while listening, with 37 per cent becoming distracted halfway through.
However, 70 per cent of those polled still believe the most fulfilling conversations happen in real life, with only seven per cent claiming voice-note chats are more meaningful. Nabil Nasser, global head of Heineken, said: “Voice notes can feel more personal than reading a message, but our research shows we need to make sure they don’t turn into mini-podcasts.”
