Overview

• A representative survey of over 2,000 German adults by Babbel and YouGov shows ambivalence toward small talk, seen as both a social connector and superficial by many.
• Younger Germans (18–24) are the most likely to avoid small talk, with 39% actively avoiding it and 43% considering it superficial.
• Older adults (55+) are more comfortable with small talk, with 44% feeling at ease in such interactions compared to only 24% of younger respondents.
• Men more frequently avoid small talk (30%) and consider it a waste of time (25%) compared to women (24% and 19%, respectively).
• Preferred topics include weather, leisure, and travel, while personal subjects like finances, relationships, and sexuality are often deemed inappropriate.