Email Addiction Runs Rampant

Rollie Hawk writes "Are you addicted to email? According to the Opinion Research Corporation, the odds are pretty good that you are. Their study of 4,012 adults in the twenty largest U.S. cities found that 41% of respondents start the day by checking their email. On the average, respondents admitted to checking their email five times a day. Respondents also mentioned email features they wish were available. Examples included the ability to retract unread messages (45%) and a way to track the forwarding of their own email (43%). Just how addicted are the email-dependent among us? So heavily that one quarter of respondents won't go more than two or three days without it. Of course, by those standards, most Americans must be addicted to work, sex, and TV as well."

Re:Sooo....

[idontgno]

A lot of addicts ask this.

"It's not an addiction, slugging back 4 fingers of gin as I get out of bed is just part of my daily routine!"

Email? Try Slashdot!

[uberdave]

I may check my email 5 times a day, but I check Slashdot 20 or 30 times a day.

Re:Sooo....

[Shky]

"Daily Routine" is hardly a good buzzword..

Re:I can't check my email!

[nocomment]

I'm also addicted to putting on clothes, showering, brushing my teeth, and scratching my balls. I won't go 3 days without doing any of those.

Typical /. response is...

[prisoner-of-enigma]

Of course, by those standards, most Americans must be addicted to work, sex, and TV as well.

What is this "sex" thing you speak of? I can find no reference to it in any of my emails.

horsefeathers

[joeslugg]

Saying people are "addicted" to email because they check it 3-5 times a day is like saying people are "addicted" to the phone because they choose to answer it every time it rings. Or for that matter, checking your snail-mail box once a day (you ADDICT!). Oh, I check my wristwatch a few times a day to see what time it is - does this make me a TIME addict?

Re:Sooo....

[Enigma_Man]

Then I'm severely addicted to showering and brushing my teeth, because my brain isn't homeostatic at all without doing either very first thing in the morning.

-Jesse

Re:Email? Try Slashdot!

[angrist]

Amature

I keep a browser window with slashdot open for 8 hours every day, and idly mouse 'up-down' to reload the page every few minutes.

Even WORSE!

[nugneant]

Most Americans cannot go one day without checking their postal mail!!

In fact, in a recent study conducted by Nugneant Industries, over 100% of Americans witnessed the sight of a motorcar! When asked if they could possibly live life for three days without looking at a motorcar, they were most likely to answer "no", or offer a sarcastic wisecrack in its stead! America is addicted to the sight of wheeled machinery!

Most Americans ANSWER THEIR TELEPHONE WHEN IT RINGS!!! I don't believe I need to expungate on the addictive dangers therein!

I think the conclusion is quite obvious - we're a people addicted to communication and transport! Hopefully a nice, well meaning New Age Liberal surgeon general will issue a proclomation about these events in the future! If only that open minded and charismatic Ronald Reagan was still in office - I'm sure he could convince those bad guys in blue to stop his part in the daily addiction of postal mail.

Now, excuse me while I go light up a cigarette...

Re:Sooo....

[StalinsNotDead]

I guess I need professional help.

Then you're just enabling someone else's work addiction. Have you no conscience?

Re:Typical /. response is...

[tedhiltonhead]

Wow, I want to use *your* anti-spam filter!

Re:I can't check my email!

[Tim Browse]

they can reach me through an invention patented by Graham Bell

This is slashdot. Didn't you get the memo about patents? :-)

Re:Right.

[Excelsior]

I'm clearly addicted to opening doors, flushing toilets, using the word "the" in a sentence, typing the letter "S", walking forward, breathing, blinking, saying "Hello" to people, turning my car to the right, chewing, sitting, standing, eating, answering the phone when it rings, looking at the clock, reading web sites, tieing my shoes, watching TV, listening to music, kissing my wife, turning on lights, turning off lights, clicking my computer's mouse....