Today, it’s possible to go through life without a single face-to-face interaction with another person. The absence of real human contact forces us to communicate more clearly, listen more attentively, and build trust — even without eye contact or body language.
We work from home, attend meetings via video calls, order groceries online, pay our bills through banking apps, and wind down with streaming services in the evening.
Sound familiar? It’s not uncommon for an entire day to pass without any human interaction.
Humans are inherently social beings. Encounters are a biological need, not just a social bonus. Extended isolation affects both our mental and physical well-being (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015).
But this isn’t just a health issue. What happens to trust, solidarity, and community when we forget how to meet and connect with one another?
The decline of human contact is not a feeling — It’s a measurable shift
The reduction in human interaction is not merely a subjective experience — it’s a documented phenomenon.
In March 2025, The New York Times published an article by Dan Barry titled “Five Years On, Ghosts of a Pandemic We Didn’t Imagine Still Haunt Us”. It describes how the pandemic has left a lasting imprint on society. Daily routines may have resumed, but many people remain isolated, and our social boundaries are more fragile than before.
Experts highlight that spontaneous, everyday interactions — like small talk in elevators or casual conversations in cafés — have significantly decreased.
At the same time, technology enables us to manage life entirely without contact.
Self-checkout kiosks, AI chatbots, remote services, and home delivery are now part of everyday life. In 2022, nearly 1.3 million people in Finland worked fully or partially remotely (Tilastokeskus, 2022) – that’s over 23% of the population.
Communication is more than words
Human communication is multimodal. It combines both verbal and nonverbal elements. Speech or text alone isn’t enough. According to research, up to 80% of communication is nonverbal — facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, and body language (Mehrabian, 1972).
Without these cues, the risk of miscommunication increases. Messages may be efficient, but they become emotionally flat. Empathy diminishes.
This is already evident in the workplace. Remote work increases the likelihood of misunderstandings and makes it harder to build trust, especially in new teams. It creates space for misinterpretation, which can lead to conflict, inefficiency, and even burnout (Mortensen & Gardner, 2021).
Clear communication makes life easier
As real-life interaction decreases, even simple social situations can become more difficult. We’re less used to reading each other’s signals, interpreting nuance, or engaging in unstructured conversation. That’s why communication skills must now be practiced — they can no longer be taken for granted.
Both individuals and teams benefit from intentionally reintroducing the basics of human connection: listening, being present, giving, and receiving feedback.
Much of today’s communication happens through written channels.
An increasing portion of work, customer service, and internal collaboration takes place via text: Slack messages, project documentation, customer feedback, website copy, and chatbot interactions. In this context, words are our primary tools — and they must be used with clarity and care.
A clear, understandable message goes beyond courtesy. It plays a vital role in effective work and a positive user experience. Vague instructions create confusion. Overly complex web content drives users away. If your message doesn’t land, it doesn’t exist.
Now is the time to reflect on how we write and how we connect. Clear communication, whether face-to-face or written, isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about collaboration, service, and — most importantly — humanity.
Improve communication in your team
Strong communication is key to success in both work and everyday life.
When internal communication works, tasks flow smoothly. When it breaks down, it drains motivation and damages relationships.
Communication workshops, like Sync and Succeed, provide a safe, practical space to train interaction skills: clarity, empathy, and presence. Each workshop includes hands-on group and partner exercises that simulate real workplace scenarios, followed by short debriefs for reflection and feedback.
Need help clarifying your website content or external messaging? Check out the content and branding services.
You can also book a free 30-minute consultation — let’s discuss your needs and tailor a solution for your team.
References
Barry, D., 2025. Five Years On, Ghosts of a Pandemic We Didn’t Imagine Still Haunt Us. The New York Times, 15 March. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com [Accessed 15 May 2025].
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T.B., Baker, M., Harris, T. and Stephenson, D., 2015. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), pp.227–237.
Mehrabian, A., 1972. Nonverbal Communication. Chicago: Aldine-Atherton.
Mortensen, M. & Gardner, H.K., 2021. WFH Is Corroding Our Trust in Each Other. Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2021/02/wfh-is-corroding-our-trust-in-each-other
Tilastokeskus, 2022. Etätyö yleistyi pysyvästi koronapandemian seurauksena. [online] Available at: https://www.stat.fi/[Accessed 15 May 2025].
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