Expert: postal strike to have lesser effect on young people people, mail

tiffiant

Expert: postal strike to have lesser effect on young people
The economic impact may not be so bad thanks to technology
Tanya Fletcher May 21, 2011 20:03:28 PM

http://www.news1130.com/news/nat ... -workers-reach-deal

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Canada Post workers could trade in their mail bags for picket signs as early as Wednesday morning. But according to a communications professor with Simon Fraser University, the economic impact wouldn't be nearly as bad nowadays thanks to our addiction to technology.

Peter Chow-White says 10 or 15 years ago, a postal strike would have brought the country to a standstill.

"But now with email and social media, a lot of personal and business communication is online. So its effects on the Canadian economy and personal communication is a lot less than it would have been in the past."

Chow-White says while a postal strike would still be a bit of a blow to the Canadian economy, it'll affect individuals differently.

The older generation would likely feel the effects more, with many still dependent on snail mail. But younger people probably wouldn't even notice it at all, thanks to things like mobile banking and instant messaging.

tiffiant