It seems, though, that the road to true love is not always a smooth one. Over a quarter of people online said their most frequent topic of conversation would be relationships, and it’s not all girls’ gossip; a third of those who would have a virtual heart-to-heart were men. It seems that New Lad is officially dead; long live New Romantic…

Yahoo! UK & Ireland commissioned the research to find out how their communication products, including Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Chat, Yahoo! Messenger and Yahoo! Clubs were being used. The results confirmed that new methods of communication such as these are revolutionising the way people interact on an emotional level. Says psychologist Peter Branston "Online communication has had a huge impact on the way people conduct their relationships, because it can be so many things at once; it allows people to express their feelings and to be honest and open when they might otherwise feel shy or inhibited. Things that may be difficult to say in person can become a lot easier via the internet".

The flip side of this, though, is that there are now 51 ways to leave your lover. Over a fifth of people online would dump a partner via the internet, and it is mostly women who would give the Big Email. However, there are some matters of the heart that can’t be resolved virtually. People would still be reluctant to pop the biggest question of all online; only 8% of people would propose by e-mail, with a resounding 89% favouring a more traditional approach.

To find out more about how people are using the internet to communicate, Yahoo! UK and Ireland are launching Chatter Challenge; people with funny experiences of online communication mishaps are invited to submit them to yahoo.co.uk. The person with the best story will go on to star in the next Yahoo! radio commercial and win the Yahoo! Mitsubishi Pinin.

Catherine Taylor, Marketing Director for Yahoo! UK and Ireland, commented "The internet is the biggest revolution in the way people communicate since the telephone. With people able to conduct their business, social and personal lives online, it’s clear that the internet is just about the most versatile way there is to stay in touch, whether it’s e-mailing, chatting, instant messaging or joining an online club".

Notes to editors:
Yahoo! commissioned NOP to survey 1984 adults by telephone between 7&16 July 2000. Psychologist Peter Branston is available for comment and interview on request.

For further information, please contact Fleishman Hillard.

About Yahoo! UK & Ireland:

Yahoo! UK & Ireland provides commerce, communication and media services to meet the needs of local consumers. Yahoo! UK & Ireland is staffed by local nationals and is headquartered in central London. Yahoo! UK & Ireland is part of Yahoo! Inc, Yahoo! Inc. is a global Internet communications, commerce and media company that offers a comprehensive branded network of services to more than 156 million individuals each month worldwide. As the first online navigational guide to the Web, www.yahoo.com is the leading guide in terms of traffic, advertising, household and business user reach, and is one of the most recognized brands associated with the Internet. The company also provides online business services designed to enhance the Web presence of Yahoo!'s clients, including audio and video streaming, store hosting and management, and Web site tools and services. The company's global Web network includes 23 local World properties outside the United States. Yahoo! has offices in Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Canada and the United States, and is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif.