People Taking Their Blackberry Handsets to Bed with Them

If you're sleeping with a BlackBerry next to your pillow so you will not miss an e-mail during the night, you are not alone. According to AOL's third annual "E-mail Addiction" survey, more Americans than ever before are using portable devices to keep tabs on their e-mail throughout the day and night, and from virtually anywhere - bed, cars, bathrooms and religious buildings.

"E-mail is becoming more and more accessible, and people continue to take advantage of that," said Regina Lewis, AOL Online Consumer Advisor. "As the survey data shows, portable devices - like e-mail itself - are becoming more prevalent and easier to use. Because you can access e-mail services like AOL from virtually anywhere and on almost any wireless device, it is easier to stay connected to work, home, family and friends through e-mail - and instant messaging as well - than any other form of communication."

AOL, in partnership with Opinion Research Corporation, conducted online surveys with 4,025 respondents 13 and older in 20 cities around the country to measure e-mail usage.

It showed that e-mail use on portable devices has nearly doubled since 2004, and as a result, people are checking e-mail around the clock. According to the survey, the average e-mail user checks mail about five times a day, and 59% of those with portable devices are using them to check e-mail every time a new message arrives. Forty-three percent of e-mail users with portable devices say they keep the device nearby when they are sleeping to listen for incoming mail.

With or without portable devices, 15% of Americans describe themselves as "addicted to e-mail," and many are even planning their vacations with e-mail access in mind. About four in ten e-mail users say it is "very" or "somewhat" important to them to think about e-mail accessibility when they are planning a vacation, and eighty-three percent of e-mail users admit to checking their mail once a day while actually on vacation.

Other significant findings include:

Washington, DC is the most "e-mail addicted" city in the country. Eighty-two percent of Washingtonians have multiple e-mail accounts - the highest percentage of any city in the survey. Rounding out the top 10 cities addicted to e-mail are: 2.) Atlanta; 3.) New York; 4.) San Francisco; 5.) Houston; 6.) Los Angeles; 7.) Seattle; 8.) Orlando; 9.) Denver; and 10.) Miami.
Americans are e-mailing anywhere and everywhere. Fifty-nine percent of people e-mailing from portable devices are checking e-mail in bed while in their pajamas; 53% in the bathroom; 37% are checking e-mail while they drive; and 12% admit to checking e-mail in church.
Women (16%) are more likely to describe themselves as addicted to e-mail than men (13%), and are actually spending 15 minutes more per day on e-mail than men.
Forty-three percent of e-mail users check their e-mail first thing in the morning, and 40% have checked their e-mail in the middle of the night. Twenty-six percent admit to checking e-mail on a laptop in bed while in their pajamas.

Sixty percent of people who e-mail admit to checking their personal e-mail at work an average of three times a day. While only 15% of those who do so have been "busted" by their bosses, 28% say they feel guilty about it."

Posted to the site on 30th July 2007

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