Milton Keynes Keeps a Digital Distance |
 * Social expert Liz Brewer fronts new etiquette guideWhether it is sacking staff by text message or dumping your partner by email, digital communication has made us a nation of cowards, according to a new report out today from Post Office(r) Telecoms. The findings show that many Milton Keynes residents are maintaining that famous British reserve by relying on text messages and email to get themselves out of sticky situations - with 82% per cent of people admitting to delegating difficult tasks at work by email and text, and 48% per cent using these forms of technology to contact new business prospects. In the Milton Keynes workplace people admit to relying on email and texting for all manner of awkward tasks, including: * Apologising for mistakes - 47% per cent * Resigning from a job - 9% per cent * Firing and employing - 4% The report also reveals that nationally five per cent of people have called in sick by text or email in the last 12 months. This figure is even higher for young people (aged 18-34) with 14 per cent of this age group using these forms of communication - possibly to avoid any awkward questions about the state of their health or who will be covering for them in their absence. A quarter of this age group felt it was appropriate for them to report their sickness by text or email. The Post Office(r) Telecoms report also reveals that 3 per cent of UK adults even admit to ending a relationship by text message in the last year. This figure rises to one in seven people in the 18-24 age group admitting to breaking up with a partner via text message. However, just one per cent of over 55s chose this as their preferred method of dumping, favouring the old fashioned face-to-face approach. For more social and fun communications, however, the telephone remains the key communication method, with 80 per cent of people choosing to pick up the phone when organising a night out. With such a variety of ways to communicate today a report called 'Etiquette in the Digital Age', is authored by etiquette expert Liz Brewer, whose credits include ITV's 'Ladette to Lady'. It is available from today on the Post Office(r) website www.postoffice.co.uk. Stewart Fox-Mills, head of telephony at the Post Office(r), said: "Digital technology is constantly giving us new ways to communicate, which enriches our day to day lives. But we've found that many people are in fact using modem technology to keep a 'digital distance' and avoid face-to-face or verbal confrontation. "From text messaging to telephone calls, email to the old fashioned letter, there's a whole world of communication methods at our fingertips. The Post Office(r) has worked with Liz Brewer to put together this guide to 21st century communications - so now there's no excuse for getting it wrong." What the Experts Say Etiquette expert Liz Brewer comments: "There are many more modes of communication open to us than there were five, 10 or 20 years ago and this offers everyone more ways to interact. "Whilst this makes organising a birthday party or meeting up for a drink much easier than in days gone by, it also means that it is easy to use the shield of technology to put off what should be addressed face to face - in fact, the sending of a text message seems to be the 21st century manifestation of the famous British stiff upper lip. "Whenever I am teaching people about etiquette, I always remind them that the key is selecting the appropriate method of communication for the task in hand. If you're dishing out discipline, it should be face to face, but of course, these days, there's no need to send a formal letter if you are simply arranging a night out at the pub." At the Post Office(r) Stewart Fox-Mills studies how people communicate. He said: "The past three decades have been a time of increasing informality in the home and in the workplace. This transition to a fast-paced, high-tech existence is exciting but baffling to many people. "What's more, this is the first time in history that four generations - those who lived through World War II, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y - are together in the workplace. Each generation's communication style can differ dramatically and can cause chaos and confusion leading to ramifications of inappropriate behaviour, poor judgment, or cultural insensitivity." The Post Office(r) is now a major player in the telephony and digital communications space, with a suite of telecoms products and services available to customers, including Broadband, HomePhone, E-top ups for mobile phones, and International Phonecards. Find out more at www.postoffice.co.uk or pop in to any of the UK's 14,000 branches. |