Survey Says, 62% Did It This Weekend!
Are you addicted to email? Because AOL Mail is curious. Each year, AOL Mail surveys their users on the email habits. Over 4,000 people age 13 and older were surveyed in June. Here are the results for Washington, DC. The results for the top 20 cities can be found here.
“In Washington, D.C., 46% say they’re hooked on email, matching the national average. Worse, 11% have even hid checking email from family.
The Punctuation Police
87% watch their spelling and punctuation when typing emails. More than two-thirds (68%) are irked by misspellings but 77% excuse the errors when the emails come from a mobile device, like a BlackBerry®.
My Email Filed for Bankruptcy
23% of email users have either declared “email bankruptcy,” deleting all of their email messages to start anew, or are seriously considering doing so.
23% have gotten a new email address to start fresh with a new inbox or are thinking about it. It’s no surprise then that the average DC user has 2.6 email accounts. It’s easy to get a new email address these days too, just visit My eAddress for a new one of your own.
I’ll Have the Duck, Just Let Me Send Off this Email
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Washington email users say they’ve checked their email in a restaurant. Other popular email spots include in bed in their pajamas (62%), in a the bathroom (65%), while driving (49%), while on a date (32%), at happy hour (38%) and from church (14%).
It’s So Over, No Lose My Email Address
12% have asked someone out on a date over email and 6% have broken up over email. Meanwhile, 18% have used email to share bad news and 7% have quit their job by email.
Mixing Business & Pleasure
The average email user in Washington, DC checks personal email at work 3.6 times per day. Meanwhile, they also check work email more than 3 times in a given weekend.
19% plan vacations based on where they know they can access email, and 30% say they feel obligated to check work email while on a break from the office.
The First Email of the Morning
Almost a quarter (22%) of DC users check their email as soon as they wake up and 11% check email right when they get home from work. 37% even check their email in the middle of the night and 49% of mobile email users keep their mobile device or BlackBerry® on the nightstand so they can hear the chime of a new email arriving in their inbox.
Me and My Mobile Email
19% of email users check their email from a mobile device or cell phone. In fact, 51% of these users say they upgraded to a new cell phone in the last year because they wanted to get email while on-the-go. Want to get mobile email on your phone? Just click here to get started.”
I’m headed to Maine on vacation later this month. In the remote location where I’ll be camping, there is no internet access and no cell phone signals. I’ll have to unplug my spine and put away my iPhone for the week. I’m sure I’ll survive. I’m nothing like the guy in this video.
Do you have any experience with email addiction in you personal relationship or any rules with your significant other on cell phone use outside of work hours?
Tags: Addiction to email, Blackberry Abuse, Checking Email Too Often









August 11th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
It was funny to come across the posting today as I had an interesting conversation with my friend last night. A guy she has been dating sent her a birthday text message and she just didn’t feel so great about. Come on; is this what it’s really come to? Anyway, thanks for the great info. I just returned from a vacation with no outside communication and it was wonderful! Enjoy your trip!
August 12th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I’m pretty bad but not THAT bad. My husband would surely file for divorce if I were checking email in bed.
August 14th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Yes! My husband and I never answer the phone or check in e-mail during dinner, and that goes for the landline phone also.
Believe it or not, at the end of the workday, we both just “shut it off.” IT WORKS!
Being connected 24/7 doesn’t mean you have to BE connected 24/7. I think it is important to set boundaries that allow balance in your lives, and give you breaks from one purpose to another.