Fifty three percent of Americans with mobile devices admit to having checked e-mail while on the pot, according to a recent study by AOL.
Actually, 53% of American with mobile devices say they have checked e-mail while in the bathroom. So maybe they aren’t always on the pot when they do it, but they’re close enough.
For marketers who worry about the context in which their messages are received, this presents a bit of a dilemma—albeit one to which there’s no real solution other than to stop worrying about the external context in which the message is read.
However, in the bigger picture, this stat offers some pretty serious evidence that the spate of recent articles and blog posts declaring e-mail’s slow death are a bunch of, well, crap. I have often said that as long as there are men and bathrooms, print will not die. Now, we can say that as long as there are mobile devices and bathrooms, there’s a place for electronic mail, as well.
And keep in mind this isn’t Grandma’s behavior we’re talking about. These people are as wired—for lack of a better term—as people get. According to research firm Gartner, there are currently fewer than 20 million business users of wireless e-mail worldwide, representing 2% of all e-mail accounts.
By 2010, there will be 350 million users with access to wireless e-mail, according to Gartner. And by 2012, wireless e-mail will be a commodity, the analyst firm predicts.
At the risk of stating the obvious, how those who currently have wireless devices use e-mail may shed light on how the majority of people will use e-mail in the near future.
Let’s hope the e-mail managers who currently make their scheduling decisions based on the latest study declaring when most business-to-business e-mails are opened and read won’t spend time trying to figure out the time of day most American business executives go to the bathroom.
In any case, other inappropriate places where Americans with mobile devices admit to having checked their e-mail include while driving—37%—and in church—12%.
About four in 10 e-mail users overall said it is very or somewhat important to them to consider e-mail accessibility while on vacation, according to AOL. Also, 83% of the 4,000-plus people surveyed admitted to checking their e-mail once a day while on vacation.
Further, 43% of people check their e-mail first thing in the morning, 40% have checked it in the middle of the night and 26% said they have checked their e-mail on a laptop while in bed in their pajamas.
This last stat begs the question: What about those who don’t wear pajamas to bed? Do they put pajamas on just to check e-mail? Doesn’t anyone who has a mobile device go to bed wearing boxers? And what about women in lingerie? Are we saying they’re too stupid or preoccupied to be concerned with e-mail?
What is it about pajama wearers that makes them want to check e-mail? Are they bored? Probably. Go to bed with an eighth of an inch of flannel between you and the world and guess what: It’s you and your Blackberry, baby. Now, the people who go to bed wearing French-maid outfits with fishnet stockings and garters never have time to check e-mail. They …
What? What was that? Pajamas is a clarifier not meant to be taken literally? You mean they could be wearing anything; it’s just that they’re not …? Oh. Sorry.
