One in ten ‘never delete email’

telegraph.co.uk | Mar 1st 2012

Larger inboxes and free email accounts mean that pressure to delete email has diminished rapidly in recent years. Although Google was the first to offer so-called ‘infinite’ storage for its Gmail accounts, all major providers now follow a similar approach.

Microsoft estimates that the average inbox will receive 14,600 emails in 2012. It says that consumers are opting in to received a growing number of newsletters, deals and updates, which it classifies as neither spam nor authentic email. The so-called ‘greymail’, makes up around 80 per cent of the average inbox. Newsletters alone have increased by 300 per cent in the last 12 months, the company claims.

The survey, conducted on behalf of Microsoft’s Hotmail, found that 38 per cent of users said their inbox was “a practical means of maintaining a digital record”. Nearly a quarter also said that they were motivated by a sentimental desire to hold on to memories. One in ten said they never deleted an email.

It also suggested, however, that one in ten people also experience ‘inbox anxiety’ as they struggle to find and manage the large volume of email. Nearly half of 18-34 year-olds said they felt ‘stressed and upset’ if they couldn't easily locate an email.

Psychologist Jenni Trent Hughes said users found the feeling of disorganisation uncomfortable. “While some consumers will be able to relate to these habits, whether it’s the desire to hoard things for sentimental reasons or just the practicality of keeping records, we all have a unique way of managing our digital lives,” she said. “For anyone looking to improve how they manage their life online they first need to look at their everyday habits to understand what changes need to be made.”

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