I used to think perhaps I allowed email to have too much control over my life until I read the results of this survey.

The email usage survey was conducted by AOL back in June with over 4000 US respondents aged 13 and over. Key findings included:

- 15% of Americans consider themselves addicted to email and plan vacations around email access

- Average user checks email around five times a day

- 43% of people with portable devices keep the device close by when sleeping to listen for incoming email.

- 53% of portable device users check email in the bathroom

- 37% check email while they drive

- 12% have admitted to checking email in church

- Women spend 15 minutes more per day on email than men

- 40% have checked their email in the middle of the night

- 60% of people report checking their personal email at work three times a day on average.

I check my email (automatically) about 30-40 times a day I guess and do plan travel around internet access, but I can’t say it’s ever crossed my mind to check email the bathroom. As for checking email while driving, that’s just asking for trouble. I refuse to have email services on my phone - but then again, I really don’t get out much as I don’t like to be far from the computer. Maybe I need to re-evaluate my opening statement :).

Still, it goes to show that the power of the medium is not waning by any means; instead becoming a more integral part of many people’s lives.

Read more of the AOL Email Addiction survey.

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