AOL Email Addiction Survey is Frightening!

I am troubled by the findings of AOL’s recent email addiction survey. While almost all US citizens check their email frequently, this new research shows that a significant percentage of the population is addicted to email – and in more egregious ways than ever before.

The results of this survey are disturbing. When 67 percent of the survey participants admit to checking their email while they’re in their pajamas in bed, what does that say about the state of our email habits?

And that’s not even the most shocking statistic. Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed admitted to checking their email in the bathroom – and if that’s not proof that our work/life balances are out of whack, I'm not sure what is.

The constant connectivity that email and PDAs provide means that people are becoming less and less capable of setting technology aside to focus on other things in life.I've seen people checking their email everywhere – I’ve even seen someone checking their BlackBerry during a funeral.

What we really need to do is learn productive email habits. Because technology is so pervasive, it becomes nearly impossible to avoid – and the more access we have, the more often we choose to use it. I can only hope that the people who see this survey will realize the extent that email has invaded their balance, and that they decide to take control of their lives.

To read the complete AOL Study, visit http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/survey/aol/en-us/index.htm.
Let us know what YOU think!