E-mail: when is enough enough?

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Dec, 2008

Productivity specialist Marsha Egan is troubled by the findings of AOIL's e-mail addiction survey. While almost all U.S. citizens with accounts check their e-mail frequently, this new research shows that a significant percentage of the population is addicted to e-mail--and in more egregious ways than ever before.

"The results of this survey are disturbing," suggests Egan, author of 12 Steps to Curing Your E-mail E-ddiction. "When 67% 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 e-mail habits?

"That's not even the most shocking statistic, either. Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed admitted to checking their e-mail in the bathroom.

"The constant connectivity that e-mail and PDAs provide means that people are becoming less and less capable of setting technology aside to focus on other things in life," continues Egan. "I've seen people checking their e-mail everywhere--I've even seen someone checking their BlackBerry at a funeral.

"What we really need to do is learn productive 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 e-mail has invaded their balance, and that they decide to take control of their lives."