Valentine’s Day might be falling on a blue Monday this year, but according to a Microsoft Hotmail survey released today, that will not deter many South Africans from expressing their love for their significant other via email.

 

Research polling done on MSN by Microsoft found that many consumers are comfortable with expressing love and flirty feelings via email. This research, which polled over 10 000 consumers in 14 countries, showed that around half (48%) exchange expressions of love by way of email with their significant others to keep their relationships fresh and exciting.

 

More surprising is that nearly a fifth of respondents (19%) revealed they have told someone they love them for the first time in an email and a further 9% have even proposed via email. A further 18% of respondents indicated that they exchange romantic or saucy photos of themselves, whilst a fifth shared romantic fantasies with their partner by way of email. 

 

“It’s interesting to note that whereas email was regarded as a somewhat impersonal means of communication, compared to the phone or the hand-written letter, a great number of people are using email to share profound and intimate feelings,” said Nazeer Suliman, consumer and online lead at Microsoft South Africa.

 

For those who are single, ‘e-romance’ in the workplace looks set to boom today as north of a fifth (21%) of people said that they’ve flirted via email with their co-workers. For those who are planning to do just that, they should note that whilst 17% of respondents have utilised their work e-mail accounts to send romantic sentiments, 8% have been caught out doing so while on the job.

 

A big group of consumer respondents also said that they were using email to flirt with someone other than the person they are in a relationship with. Almost half of respondents (47%) admit they have sent or received romantic or saucy emails to or from someone who is not their current partner and 16% of those surveyed have caught their partner sending sexy emails to someone else.

 

“There is a shift in the perception that email and social media are impersonal and, as that shift occurs, the more comfortable people are with sharing heartfelt messages of love and celebrating their union using these channels,” stated Kojo Baffoe, editor of Destiny Man. “With Valentine’s Day falling on a Monday this year, email networks around the world will be carrying a flurry of cupid’s romantic declarations!”