To think talking to 15 sperate people in a day isn't really that many?

[orangesandlemonssaythebellsofstclements]

I've seen a meme going round Facebook three times now. Apparently the average number of different people a person talks out loud to in a day is 15.

The comment section is always full of people saying they don't speak to anywhere near that amount of people in a day and some quite horrified by the mere idea of it.

But on three separate occasions, I think I have had fairly quiet days and each time my number has been between 12-18. Is 15 really very much??!!

Today it has been:
My husband and both of my kids
my daughter's teacher
the lady in tesco express
Another mum I saw in tesco express
3 separate customers
my supplier
Two different people on the phone about a bill
A taxi driver

Total: 13

I've only left the house to do school runs and pop to tesco express while out.

So... how many people do you speak to in a day? For the purpose of the experiment, online or messages does not count. It needs to be spoken out loud.

18 children at work, 18 brief 2 sentence interactions at collection or drop off that's 36 so unnaturally high. Outside that 4 work colleagues, my 3 children, DH, phone call to book an appointment, 3 different shop assistants (coffee in morning, corner shop, and petrol station), acquaintance I met in the petrol station, neighbour I walked past this morning and we chatted for 2 mins, DDs activity leader when i drop her later, and my Dad who I am calling to this evening. So that's 15 outside the 36 that is part of my job. 51 in total. I'd say that's normal for me.

Depends what your job is etc. Tesco cashier, below average. When I was a SAHM, I could easily talk to nobody all day! Except DH and the kids. Yesterday I exchanged words with 11 people, but that includes coffee shop person and school club people (3). Doesn’t include the people I live with (4) or WhatsApp.
Today it’s been one friend over for coffee, the dentist receptionist and dentist, shop keeper, and going to my boss’ this evening.

28 so far, been a quiet day... 29 just now

Usually only 2. My husband and my 3 month old baby. Sometimes just the baby when my husband is away for work.

The average is probably pretty meaningless as it’s going to vary so much depending on job- so like teachers and healthcare workers and retail/ hospitality workers could easily be in the hundreds which massively skews the average.

About 11 today but there are only 2 of us at my business and we don't talk to customers face to face or on the phone.

Most days it's just DH and whoever we meet when we're out for a walk who has a nice dog. May say hello to a few others as well.
May or may not actually talk to any colleagues as I wfh and they're mostly in the US.

I’ve been out around town today and my total is 13 and won’t get any higher (DH, DC, 1x in B&M, 2x in Tesco, 1x in library, 1x bookshop, 2x in second bookshop, 2x people I passed, 2x in Greggs.

Monday I only spoke to 5 people including DH and DC and including an online call. I had a busy day at work on Wednesday and I think even then I worked out I spoke to 22.

15 probably is about average but as for if it’s a lot - it depends on the conversation doesn’t it? The 22 people I spoke to Wednesday was a lot. The 13 people I’ve spoken to today have mostly been surface level conversations and weren’t really that taxing but the 5 people I spoke to on Monday, I had quite long and in-depth conversations with 3 of them which were quite tiring.

I’m easily at over 100 today (I am a teacher though!)

You spoke to 3 separate customers? Are you a huge extrovert who likes to discuss food or something?!

Oh goodness, loads.
Teams meetings at work usually have 5-20 people on them, could easily have 3 of these, then DH & Dd , will often phone my sister or my mother. Usually have a brief chat with 1 or 2 others eg: neighbour orshop assistant/ fellow runner. If I have a clinic that is 12-20 people straight off, then a meeting afterwards might be the same again. I would say 30-40 would be average 60-100 on a busy day...I am a people person I found maternity leave v. hard on the days I didn't have anything planned.

2, my husband and a friend I went out with.
Tomorrow likely to only be my husband face to face and a friend on the phone. Sunday it’s likely to be 4.

Does saying hello count or do you mean a chat

12 today, but that's unusual, and eight of them were in Waitrose.

Just had a quick tot up. 15 is about average. On busy days it might be three times that.

But for 3.5 years I worked from home and probably averaged 2 or 3 a day.

It’s going to be massively skewed by people’s jobs . As a teacher, I’ve generally spoken to over 50 people before 9 am (children in the class, plus colleagues) each weekday. For anyone working in healthcare /retail/ hospitality/ education, it’ll be dozens or even hundreds every day.

Actual talking, max about 4! Quite enough for me.

I work in a cafe so I talk to a large amount of people on a daily basis, probably 50+ including colleagues and customers. We get the same people in on a daily basis and because I'm a talker I've ended up getting to know all of them so I often I feel like I spend most of my day talking!

I've had enough of people today though, I'm tired and everybody is starting to annoy me. The kids are being annoying which isn't helping either. I want to hide on a remote island until the morning but I still have to go to the gym but if I put my headphones on people are less likely to approach me for a chat.

2- a delivery driver and my son.

Lots of people work from home, live alone or haven’t been out all day so would be zero unless their work involved a call.

I live by myself. I havent spoken to anyone today, and probably wont until I go to my boyfriends tomorrow.

I spoke to a friend on the phone yesterday and a guy from the electricity company who knocked on the door.

I broke up with my abusive ex just over a year ago. The hardest part was actually knowing I'd go back to not speaking to anyone day-in-day-out. Yes, I had family members who expressed support at the time- realistically I only speak with my parents if I call and rarely my brother and SIL, they are 'busy' with their kids. Often times I miss being in a shitty relationship just for the human interaction. I have someone I am 'seeing' at the moment, but you can't appear too needy or desperate. I go for days without speaking to anyone apart from the Sainsbury's delivery guy or postie

Mines pretty low on weekedays, most of the time probably 1 or 2.

I've talked to 9 so far today. Yes, I usually speak to 15 plus people a day.

I'm retired and I live alone. So not many. Sometimes none.

That stat is an average. There are a lot of us around to compensate for your full day of interaction.

Actually it's 11 today.

When I read that I thought 15 sounds like loads, I don't speak to that many people a day. I then added it up, it is actually bang on 15 so far today and I only worked a half day and still a good few more opportunities to talk to more.