Use of mail becoming obsolete as texts and emails take over
London, Nov 14 (ANI)
The number of people who write letters has fallen by 30 percent in just two years, a new survey has revealed.
The study, which attempts to categorise how Britons communicate, reports that 17 percent of those surveyed said that they use email and text messages more than they did in 2010, while 30 percent reported writing fewer letters and posting fewer parcels, the Telegraph reported.
Among those communications regulator Ofcom categorised as the most technology savvy, letter writing fell by up to 38 percent.
Nationwide, 4 percent also claimed that they were using landline telephones less, but 11 percent said their use of mobile phones had increased.
Face-to-face communication remained largely unchanged, with one percent reporting an increase.
Ofcom called the decline in using the post "dramatic," adding that "many respondents also predict that they will continue to reduce their use of post for letters, card and parcels" over the next two years as well.
More than one in five said they would use the post less between now and 2014.
One in ten said they would use internet telephone services more, while 17 percent predicted a continued rise in the importance of email.
Despite this, Royal Mail's most recent figures say the core postal business made an operating profit of 23 million pounds, up from a loss of 120 million pounds last year.
In the last reported financial year, the group's parcels businesses accounted for 48 percent, or 4.2 billion pounds of total revenues, in part thanks to the rise of internet shopping.