It may be time to say goodbye to good manners with a common ‘thank you’ in danger of dying out as Gen Z feel uncomfortable saying it.
The phrase may even be replaced by an emoji as younger generations struggle with the pleasantry.
More than 10 per cent of Gen Zers, polled by Nationwide, said they do not like being put in a position where they have to say thanks and would prefer to send an emoji.
Almost a fifth of those between 13 and 28 said they feel uncomfortable saying thanks.
Alyssa Simmons, 24, from Manchester, said she hates saying the phrase and avoids it whenever possible.
‘None of my mates say thanks, it’s awkward, outdated and and feels forced,’ she said.
‘I’d rather just send a thumbs-up emoji. That’s what we all do.’
Just under one in ten say they prefer to text the abbreviation TYSM (thank you so much) rather than saying it.
It may be time to say goodbye to good manners with a common ‘thank you’ in danger of dying out as Gen Z feel uncomfortable saying it
The phrase may even be replaced by an emoji as younger generations struggle with the pleasantry
More than 10 per cent of Gen Zers, polled by Nationwide, said they do not like being put in a position where they have to say thanks
While 36 per cent of people said they did not believe the remark was important, with 55 per cent saying they are being thanked less often. And 46 per cent think others don’t make time to express their gratitude.
Despite the decline in manners, Brighton, Manchester and Bristol remain the most polite cities.
Residents from these cities are the most thankful – saying the phrase 15 times a day, Nationwide’s research, as part of The Big Nationwide Thank You campaign, shows.
However, 15 per cent of people from these politeness hotspots admit they say ‘thanks’ disingenously at least once a day.
Across the country ‘cheers’ is now the most popular way of thanking people, with 42 per cent of people using it. ‘Much appreciated’, ‘I owe you one’ and ‘ta la’ follow.
Reacting to the results, broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald said: ‘We all know a simple thank you can truly go a long way, so come on, let’s all say it more to each other.’
