Number of Posts: 3
Posts 1 - 3
C'est tu, que tu le veuilles ou non
(It is 'you', whether you want it or not)
Newspaper | Le Matin
Date | 30.7.2016
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | Facebook, politeness
Summary | A Migros customer complained because an employee from Migros used the "tu" form (familiar 'you') instead of "vous" (formal 'you') when replying to the customer on a Facebook post. The customer does not understand why a Migros employee would talk to her online using the "tu" form, as if there are only young people on social media. It might be one of Migros' strategies to get closer to its customers. Nevertheless, a cashier should not use "tu" when addressing a customer. The more 'light-hearted' tone of the internet does not mean one cannot be polite.
Image Description | Photograph of a Migros customer with shopping carts, and screenshot of a Facebook chat between an employee and a customer.
Image Tags | Facebook, female(s)
Schriftliche Forschheiten: Vom Niedergang der Höflichkeit
(Written briskness: On the demise of politeness)
Newspaper | Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ)
Date | 1.9.2014
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | email, language threat, politeness, school, texting, WhatsApp, word/writing
Summary | Communication researchers agree that politeness in professional writing has decreased with the rise of digital communication. Rules of formal writing are omitted: what was“Honored Professor So-and-so” is now a simple “Hello”. Both students and also professors are reported to have a relaxed level of formality in email exchanges. This is usually seen as an influence of texting, where traditional messages of respect are omitted, but it can also be argued that the new brief communication style is a form of respecting the addressee’s time by writing efficiently.
Image Description | Photograph of a female texting; the shot does not show the person's face but emphasizes the phone.
Image Tags | female(s), hand(s), smartphone, text
Ständig unanständig
(Constantly rude)
Newspaper | Beobachter
Date | 10.7.2015
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | politeness, smartphone, threat, youth
Summary | People, especially younger generations, have become less considerate of their environment in a variety of ways. One factor causing this decrease in politeness is the smartphone. People are consumed by digital content and less aware of their actual surroundings. For example, when immersed in their smartphone, people might not see if somebody on the street needs help or if another passenger on the bus can’t sit down because one’s bag is on a seat. Personal meetings have also become less focused.
Image Description | Illustration of a cafeteria scene where young people are eating and using their smartphone.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone
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