Desde that WhatsApp introduced voice messaging in 2013, the tool has become a polarizing phenomenon globally. Enquanto countries like Índia, México and Emirados Árabes Unidos have adopted audio as their main form of communication, Reino Unido remains among the most skeptical. A YouGov survey carried out in April involving more than 2,300 British adults revealed that only 15% communicate via audio regularly, the lowest rate among 17 nations studied.
The same institution discovered that Reino Unido is the country most reticent about audios in its research group. Entre respondents, 83% prefer text messages, while only 4% declare themselves to be fans of voice messages. Homens, women and even British Gen Z show the same resistance, making Reino Unido a global outlier.
The emotional power of the voice
Pesquisadores of Universidade of Wisconsin-Madison conducted a study in 2011 that may explain part of the worldwide fascination with audio. When analyzing children receiving phone calls from their parents compared to text messages, they discovered something remarkable: cortisol levels (the stress hormone) decreased when they heard their parents’ voices, while oxytocin (the bonding hormone) increased significantly.
Psychologist Seth Pollak, one of the study’s authors, says it would be worth repeating the research focusing specifically on voice messages. Sua hypothesis is that a pre-recorded recording will likely “have less impact” emotionally than a live call. Paralelamente, Martin Graff, psychologist from Universidade from Sul from País from Gales, researches online communication and argues that audios offer greater emotional charge. Segundo he, this phenomenon is based on the “media richness theory” the more multimedia elements, the greater the transmission of emotion and reduction of uncertainty.
The feature has become so popular that dating apps like Bumble, Happn and Grindr have incorporated it in recent years. But this global trend has not won over the British public.
Cultura and reservation: the British case
Jessica Ringrose, University College’s Londres sociology teacher, offers a cultural explanation. Ela suggests that the British communication style is more reserved compared to other cultures. Mensagens of voice are more attractive “if you really enjoy talking and have this communicative and even performative component in your relationships” traits that are less common in British culture, historically associated with emotional restraint.
The British people interviewed reveal this aversion. Ramya, resident of Reino Unido, explains: “I hate voice messages because they are so unbalanced. Para who sends it, it’s easy — just press the button. But whoever receives it needs to pay full attention to a six-minute message without knowing if it’s about something urgent or just how their day was.”
Gyasi, a Gen Z intern, finds audio to be “a little boring,” mainly because it requires headphones. Daniela, 30 years old, adds: “They stress me out a little, because once you open them, you have to listen until the end.” Há exceptions, such as Josh Parry, a specialist in LGBT issues at the BBC, who sends audios of up to 15 minutes and defends their practical usefulness. Naomi, designer and businesswoman, uses them when her hands are full with children or multiple tasks.
Índia and the dominance of voice messages
The contrast is dramatic on the Índia. YouGov’s 2024 survey revealed that 48% of Indians prefer voice messages or like them as much as text, compared to just 18% of Brits. The Indian WhatsApp platform recently launched a nine-minute ad telling the story of a rural couple who fell in love through audio, reflecting the cultural importance of the function in the country.
Shreya, college student at Pune, Maharashtra, explains why: Her group of friends mostly uses voice messages “because we speak a lot of languages.” Ela switches between Marathi (mother tongue) and English. Testou the Marathi keyboard, but found it “too complicated”, his grandmother is the only person he knows capable of using it. Namratha, 29 years old, resident of Khargar near Mumbai, corroborates: “As people speak different languages but don’t know how to read and write them all, audios make it easier. Posso knows your language, but you may not have enough knowledge of mine to write.”
Shreya adds another dimension: audios “convey expression better… so when it comes to telling gossip, we expect a voice message.” Sociology professor Kathryn Hardy, Universidade Ashoka, Sonipat, believes it is “very plausible” that audios are particularly popular among rural communities and regions with lower literacy. Tecnologias that do not require reading and writing deploy “almost instantly” in these communities.
Idioma and efficiency
Rory Sutherland, columnist for The Spectator magazine, offers a different linguistic perspective on the British resistance. “We actually have a pretty efficient language. In English, you don’t have to type 16 letters to say sorry, which makes written communication more attractive.” The inherent brevity of written English reduces the advantage of audios in Reino Unido. Sutherland also raises the issue of courtesy: “Recording a five-minute message is a lack of courtesy towards the recipient.” Sua position reflects traditional British etiquette.
The global diaspora
An often ignored factor is the role of large migrant communities. Índia has the largest diaspora in the world, more than 35 million Indians residing abroad, with around 2.5 million leaving the country annually. Mensagens voice offers asynchronous possibilities superior to phone calls, but more personal than text messages, ideal for families in different time zones.
No México, 53% of the population likes to receive audio. The country also has a large community abroad, especially in Estados Unidos. Hardy, an American living at Índia for almost a decade, uses voice messages between 10 and 20 times a week with her children keeping in touch with grandparents in the US: “I suspect that at least some of this use is intergenerational or due to long distances and large time differences.”
Brazilian Sucesso
Diferentemente from Reino Unido, Brasil didn’t just embrace voice messaging, it led globally. In June 2024, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, declared that “Brazilians send more stickers, participate more in polls and send four times more voice messages on WhatsApp than any other country”, as reported by G1.
The polarization around this simple function reveals how technology and culture are intertwined. Enquanto some see audios as an essential human connection that conveys emotional nuances impossible in text, others perceive them as a disrespectful intrusion into their routine. Não there is universal response, just deeply rooted preferences in language, geography, migratory history and cultural values. Como final reflection: perhaps in an increasingly distant world, small recordings from friends deserve to be considered digital treasures, regardless of how long they take.