Say ciao to goodbye

We could be saying goodbye to 'hello' within 50 years, thanks to emails and text messages.

People using new technology to communicate are more likely to start the conversation with a chatty 'hey' and sign off with 'laters', a new study has found.

Influences from around the world mean greetings such as 'g'day', 'hola', 'howdy' and 'yo' are becoming commonplace.

When it comes to signing off, 'ciao', 'au revoir', 'hasta la vista' and 'in a while' are taking the place of more formal alternatives.

The study showed the remarkable speed at which language is being modified by new technology. Jonathon Green, author of the report, said: 'We have a situation where more people use electronic communication than oldfashioned letters. The way these technologies work often results in us talking faster and with more slang.'