One in five Gen Z-ers feel uncomfortable saying “thank you” according to a new poll – and young people in Lincoln today agreed the phrase had become outdated.
The survey by Nationwide Bank found the phrase could be in danger of being replaced by less formal ways of expressing gratitude such as abbreviations like TYSM (thank you so much).
And in the city centre today, 17-year-old Florence Birkby said she agreed with the poll’s findings.
The Lush shop assistant said: “If I’m talking to my grandma, I won’t use any abbreviations whatsoever and I will always say thank you but if I am talking to my friends, or someone my age, I will just say cheers or TY”.
Her co-worker, Freya Watts, 31, said that “everyone was different” but “it could be something that’s more familiar with certain age groups”.
Across the UK, “cheers” is the most popular way to express gratitude, with 42 percent of people using it. The survey also found that 15 percent of respondents admit to saying “thanks” at least once a day without genuinely meaning it.
The expression ‘thank you’ can be traced back to the 14th century.
Martyn Bland, 79, and his wife, Madeline Bland, 70, from Lincoln, said: “The problem is the phones and the social media in my opinion. Kids don’t get the opportunity to talk to people in person nowadays.
He continued: “I say thank you, but I can see why the younger generation may feel awkward because they’re not used to having that social interaction. I’ve noticed some of the generation can be rude and not say thank you, but for the most part they are polite.”
