News Summary

• In 18th- and 19th-century Europe, polite conversation was viewed as a marker of refinement and social standing.
• In the U.S., small talk flourished during the mid-20th century, when suburban communities and long-term corporate jobs emphasized stability and neighborliness.
• The rise of email, voicemail and eventually texting introduced faster, more transactional forms of communication.
• Social media platforms then blurred the line between private and public life, encouraging oversharing in some contexts while shortening attention spans in others.