Voice messages divide users as younger generations embrace the trend

Voice messages—short audio clips sent via apps like Snapchat—are sparking mixed reactions, with younger users embracing them while older generations remain skeptical, reports Danish broadcaster DR.

For 17-year-old Sigrid Sand Jürgensen, a second-year high school student in Aabenraa, voice messages are often easier than typing out long texts. “Instead of writing a whole message, you just speak and send it,” she says, adding that she and her classmate Josephine Graae Rasmussen use them daily or several times a week, primarily on Snapchat.

Yet even among young users, the format has drawbacks. “Sometimes it’s annoying to get a voice message instead of just reading it,” Sigrid admits.

The trend is growing rapidly. Snapchat told DR that its platform saw nearly 1.7 billion minutes of audio—including calls, voice messages, and video—sent daily last year, a 30% increase from 2023. In the U.S., over five billion voice messages were sent in 2025, up nearly 10% from the previous year.

### Generational split
Researchers note a clear generational divide. Marianne Rathje, a senior linguist at the Danish Language Council, says she “couldn’t imagine” using voice messages herself, though she admits she once felt the same about texting. Malene Charlotte Larsen, a media researcher at Aalborg University, observes that while she doesn’t use them, they’ve become common among teens.

Larsen suggests the format aligns with younger users’ discomfort with traditional phone calls. “Many find calls unfamiliar—they didn’t grow up with them like older generations,” she explains. Voice messages offer an in-between: asynchronous oral communication, where responses aren’t immediate, unlike a call.

### Speed-listening and AI fixes
To address the time commitment, some platforms now offer solutions. Snapchat allows users to speed up playback, turning voices into high-pitched “Minnie Mouse” tones, while AI transcription tools let recipients skim audio content quickly.

Still, not everyone is convinced. For some, like Rathje, voice messages feel unnecessary. For others, they add emotional nuance missing in text. The debate, it seems, is far from settled.