How long have people been communicating?

It's impossible to say exactly how long people have been communicating, as it depends on what we consider "communication."

Here's why:

* Early humans: We know that early humans, like Neanderthals, communicated through gestures, facial expressions, and possibly vocalizations. These forms of communication predate language and have been around for millions of years.

* Spoken language: The development of spoken language is more complex. While we can't pinpoint an exact date, experts believe it emerged around 100,000 to 50,000 years ago.

* Written language: The earliest known forms of written language date back to around 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia.

* Technology: Technology has dramatically impacted communication over time, with inventions like the printing press, telegraph, telephone, and internet revolutionizing how we interact.

So, to summarize:

* Non-verbal communication: Millions of years

* Spoken language: Around 100,000 to 50,000 years

* Written language: About 5,500 years

* Modern technology: Varying depending on the specific technology

Instead of trying to pinpoint a single date, it's more accurate to say that communication has been an ongoing process of evolution and adaptation throughout human history.