According to AOL Mail's fourth annual Email Addiction Survey, 46% of email users said they're hooked on email (up from just 15% last year) and 51% check their email four or more times a day. One in five said they check their email more than 10 times a day.
27% are so overwhelmed by their email that they've either declared "email bankruptcy," deleting (or planning to) all their email messages to start anew. 20% of users said they have over 300 emails in their inboxes! 24% admit they've signed up for a new email address to start fresh. 69% of email users said they have multiple email accounts, up from 52% in 2007.
Regina Lewis, AOL Online Consumer Advisor, noted that "We really do live in a 24-7 society and it's not uncommon to be online and checking email at all hours of the day..."
Among email users, 16% said they check their email from a mobile device and 55% said they upgraded to a new cell phone in the last year so they could get their email while on-the-go. 30% of mobile email users said that since getting a mobile device with email capabilities they feel "married to the office."
41% of mobile email users said they keep their cell phones near them when they sleep so they can hear when a new email comes in. 49% of mobile email users said they check their email every single time a new message arrives.
People today check their email:
Of those surveyed, 60% said they've never gone more than 5 days without checking email and 17% can't go more than one day without email. They're so hooked that 11% have even hidden the fact that they're checking email from a spouse or family member.
For more complete data, please visit AOL here.