Millennials shun face-to-face conversations

[Photo: from VCG]

Almost half of millennials feel more comfortable using social media and messaging apps to talk to strangers than doing so face-to-face.

A new research says that this due to the rise of smartphones which have made 18 to 24-year-olds more reluctant to have a proper conversation.

While more than two-thirds of people aged 55 feel comfortable speaking to someone they don't know in person, that number falls dramatically for young people.

Cancer Research reports that 44 per cent of millennials prefer online conversations, using tools like WhatsApp or social media, when speaking to strangers.

Now experts are warning that they run the risk of social isolation, following another research linking social media use to unhappiness.

Dr. Rebecca Beeken, a behavioral scientist at the University of Leeds working on cancer prevention, says: 'While it is no surprise that young people are embracing new ways to chat, and there are supportive communities online, it is important they don't lose the art of talking to the people around them.

She goes on to say- "Social isolation can be associated with poor health and poorer health behaviors, and we know social support is important for adopting healthy lifestyle changes. These changes can play an important role in helping to prevent cancer.' 

[The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI] 

(News source: Daily Mail)