Half of Brits have delayed saying anything to a struggling friend or relative because they were stuck for words
Four out of every 10 Brits have resorted to using artificial intelligent to help them create messages for their loved ones during life’s most toughest moments – including love letters, apologies, and condolences.
A poll of 1,500 adults unveiled the nation’s struggle with writer’s block when it comes to expressing their feelings, with half admitting they’ve put off reaching out to a friend or relative in need because they couldn’t find the right words.
This fear of saying something inappropriate has also led to 22% never receiving a card during a challenging period in their lives. However, 64% agreed that even a brief message can be “deeply meaningful”, particularly on a tough day.
To counteract the trend of saying ‘nothing at all’, 43% are now turning to artificial intelligence to help craft messages of support or sympathy.
Georgie Smallwood, chief product and technology officer at Moonpig, which commissioned the study, said: “It’s clear even the briefest message or token can mean so much, so we are encouraging people to be braver in those situations when it’s difficult to know exactly what to say.”
“While AI tools obviously can’t replace the human touch in these moments, they can be very helpful in scenarios when you really can’t seem to express yourself – there to push you in the right direction and get the words flowing, rather than write them all for you.
“It’s always better to say something than nothing, so take the help where you can get it for life’s difficult moments.”
The study reported 45% find themselves completely lost for words during tough times, admitting they know they have emotions and words to express but struggle to put them on paper.
The worry of offending or upsetting someone is the primary cause of this hesitation, with 46% saying they are held back by the fear of saying the wrong thing.
Further to this, 44% admitted that writing a message to commemorate any key life moments, let alone sensitive ones, feels stressful.
A stark contrast has also been highlighted between different generations, as 25–34-year-olds are struggling the most – 61% of this group admitted to delaying messages and 55% to obsessively deleting and rewriting them before sending. In comparison, only 37% of over 55s reported the same hesitations.
Interestingly, 49% of women admit that translating their thoughts into words is a challenge, compared to 41% of men. However, despite finding the writing process a challenge, women still find the written word easier than expressing their feelings in person.
They are significantly more likely than men to express deep emotions in a card or note rather than face-to-face (47% versus 40%).
Men, meanwhile, have embraced AI more readily to draft messages, being more likely than women to use tools for romantic notes (28% vs 22%) or to find the right words for an apology (26% vs 22%).
Georgie Smallwood, for Moonpig, added: “Every day, customers use our creative tools to help them write messages that really matter, expressing their care, support, sadness, or just to check in and let someone know they’re loved.
“One in two cards sent we send are created using our personalisation tools, making them completely unique.
“It really feels special that we are helping people to stay in touch and say the right thing at the right time.”