The firm handshake, once a traditional greeting, has become endangered by young people in the UK.
According to an ACS International Schools survey, 24 per cent of teenagers believe they are unable to deliver a confident handshake, with 92 percent admitting they prefer to communicate by texting, instead than face-to-face.
And among students in Lincoln today, there was widespread agreement that the handshake should be consigned to history.
Matthew Bell, sports business management student, believes that the traditional handshake is unhygienic, and should only be used in formal situations.
The 21-year-old said: “If it’s in a formal setting, then I’ll shake their hand professionally, however, it’s one of my mates, I’ll greet them with a hug or maybe a fist bump. It’s a bit more informal, but a good way to greet someone, without actually transferring a load of germs.”
Tina Dilon, 21, animation student, believes handshaking puts her off, as she explained: “It’s stressful, I don’t know what they want to do half the time.”
“There are different ways it can start and end, and I don’t know what they want from me, just say hi or hug me.”
The study also added that 69 percent of parents believe that the younger generation are less confident in comparison to older generations before them.
Despite this, Xavier Moyston, 21, animation student, said: I like handshaking, it shows a sign of respect and shows a connection between two people greeting”
He also added that he would mostly use a handshake but also mentioned: “If I meet my friends, maybe I would dap them up or fist bump every now and then.”
