Germans are the world's champions when it comes to sending text messages, so it comes as no surprise that electronic greetings are replacing Christmas and New Year's cards in Germany.
Nearly half of all season's greetings are sent electronically in Germany, according to a new survey issued on the 15th anniversary of the very first text message in December 1992.
A Forsa study showed one in three Germans planned to send season's greetings this year via e-mail, text messages or multimedia messaging.
PHOTO: AFP
Text messaging was particularly popular among the 14 to 19 age bracket, a majority of whom said they preferred this form of communication to cards or letters.
Fifty-six of the 1,000 people surveyed said they would be sending cards or letters this Christmas, as opposed to 21 percent who planned to wish a Merry Christmas via e-mail. Three percent planned to send multimedia images from their cellphones.
The very first text message ever transmitted was a Christmas greeting sent by a British Vodafone mobile phone user in December 1992.
German books on etiquette now devote chapters to the proper way of issuing invitations and making RSVPs via mobile text messaging.
"It is a cheap and non-intrusive means of communication for millions of people who just want to send a quick thought on a whim before they forget," said communications researcher Joachim Hoeflich of Erfurt University.
When sending text message holiday greetings, it's important to consider the audience and their sensibilities, said Thomas Schaefer-Elmayer, who is Austria's leading expert on manners.
In Austria, Christmas is a bit serious, he said, adding, "Some people don't take that into account when they write funny Christmas cards."(DPA)
提到傳送簡訊，德國人可以說是世界第一。因此，若說簡訊在德國已漸漸取代耶誕卡和賀年卡的地位，一點也不讓人意外。
據最新調查結果顯示，德國將近半數的節慶祝賀是透過電子方式傳送。這項調查結果選在一九九二年十二月第一則簡訊發送後的十五週年紀念發布。
民調機構Forsa調查顯示，有三分之一的德國人計畫今年透過電子郵件、簡訊或多媒體訊息來表達節慶祝賀。
簡訊尤其受到十四到十九歲族群的青睞，其中多數人表示，比起卡片或書信，他們還是偏好這種溝通形式。
受訪的一千人中有五十六人表示，今年耶誕節他們會寄卡片或書信祝賀，相反的，有兩成一的民眾計畫使用電子郵件。有百分之三的民眾則是計畫用手機發送多媒體影音訊息。
世界上第一則簡訊是英國Vodafone行動電話的一位使用者，於一九九二年十二月所傳送的耶誕祝賀簡訊。
德國禮儀相關書籍現在也有專章，教導民眾如何透過手機適當地發送邀請和敬請賜覆簡訊。
「對數百萬只想在遺忘前傳遞一個突然出現的念頭的人來說，這是一種經濟且不具侵入性的溝通管道，」德國艾爾福特大學的傳播研究員尤沃金:荷耶佛里西說。
奧地利禮儀權威湯瑪士．薛弗艾梅爾說，在寄送賀節簡訊時，考量受信對象和他們的感覺是很重要的。
他說，在奧地利，耶誕節是一個頗為莊嚴的日子，他還說：「有些人在寫搞笑耶誕卡時，並沒有注意到這一點。」（德通社／翻譯：袁星塵）
Despite being thoroughly prepared for the coming exam, Sarah couldn’t stop herself from thinking about what could go wrong on test day. So, she kept studying her textbooks again and again. Do you often find yourself caught in this same type of loop, endlessly thinking about scenarios? If so, you’re likely struggling with a common challenge: overthinking. Overthinking is a phenomenon in which individuals become trapped in a tangle of worries, continuously replaying past events in their mind or feeling uneasy about what the future holds. It’s like being stuck in a never-ending loop of negative thoughts that can prove challenging
A: Hey, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame just announced its latest inductees. B: Which superstars were inducted this year? A: The inductees included singers Cher, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne and Peter Frampton. B: So, the legendary artist Cher was finally recognized. A: And Mary J., the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” surely deserved the induction as well. A: 「搖滾名人堂」公布今年的入選名單了。 B: 有誰入選啊？ A: 歌手雪兒、瑪麗布萊姬、奧茲奧斯朋、彼得佛萊姆頓都獲此殊榮！ B: 78歲的傳奇藝人雪兒終於受到肯定啦。 A: 嘻哈靈魂樂皇后瑪麗J.也是實至名歸。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
Ford Motor Co. says it will reduce its workforce by 4,000 in Europe and the UK by the end of 2027, citing headwinds from the economy and pressure from increased competition and weaker than expected sales of electric cars. Ford said Wednesday last week most of the job cuts would come in Germany and would be carried out in consultation with employee representatives. Of the total, 2,900 jobs would be lost in Germany, 800 in Britain and 300 in other European Union countries. Ford has 28,000 employees in Europe, and 174,000 worldwide. “The global auto industry continues to be in a period of
A: Apart from singers Cher, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne and Peter Frampton, who else was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? B: The other inductees were Kool and the Gang, Dave Matthews, Foreigner and A Tribe Called Quest. A: All four of those bands are awesome. B: Also, Dionne Warwick received an award for musical excellence. A: Wow! Isn’t she the late pop diva Whitney Houston’s cousin? They both have the greatest voices. A: 除了雪兒、瑪麗J.、奧茲奧斯朋、彼得佛萊姆頓，還有誰入選「搖滾名人堂」？ B: 還有庫爾夥伴合唱團、大衛馬修樂團、外國人合唱團、探索一族。 A: 這4個樂團都很棒耶。 B: 狄昂華維克則榮獲「音樂卓越獎」！ A: 哇，她不是已故天后惠妮休斯頓的表姊嗎？兩姊妹都是美聲天后。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
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