Nearly a third of people say their relationships have suffered because their use of digital technology means they 'talk less'.

And 90 per cent of people surveyed say they feel that email, text messages and instant messaging has made communication with friends and family less personal.

According to the study by PlusNet, email has become the most popular method of communication with friends and family, with 81 per cent of respondents using it. However, 41 per cent of people said they would prefer to receive a phone call.

“With the explosion of email, texts and IM, people are shying away from making phone calls, said Neil Armstrong, head of marketing at PlusNet. “When you're busy, it's tempting to send an email or text, rather than pick up the phone. While there's time and place for each of these methods, undeniably it's a personal phone call that keeps friends and family together”.

Other communication trends revealed by the PlusNet research included a high proportion of people resorting to using email, text and IM in situations where they are trying to avoid confrontation or find communication uneasy.

Forty per cent of respondents found new technologies less confrontational and used them to flirt (27 per cent), apologise for missed birthdays (22 per cent), and to inform their employers about being sick (19 per cent).

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