Spam may kill the Internet’s killer application.
Americans are beginning to pull away from e-mail–their favorite online activity–because their in-boxes are being swamped with unwanted electronic solicitations, according to a new report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
“People just love e-mail, and it really bothers them that spam is ruining such a good thing,” said Deborah Fallows, the Pew researcher who wrote the report. “People resent spam’s intrusions; they are angered by its deceptions; and they are offended by much of the truly disgusting content.”
Fallows’ report, “Spam: How it is hurting e-mail and degrading life on the Internet,” showed that 25 percent of America’s e-mail users say they’re using e-mail less because of spam. Sixty percent of that number say their e-mail use has been reduced “in a big way.”
People are less likely to leave their e-mail programs open in view of children, family and co-workers, Fallows said. The influx of pornographic spam has forced users to re-evaluate an activity they used to regard as enjoyable, she said.
“Because of the likelihood of being offended by the yucky stuff, they say, ‘I’m going to go in there, do the e-mail and get out,’ ” Fallows said. “They’re taking a more businesslike approach.”
At the same time, they are apparently keeping perspective, Fallows said. About 59 percent of respondents categorized spam as “annoying, but not a big problem,” while 27 percent said spam is a “big problem,” and 14 percent said it is no problem at all.
Fallows’ conclusions were drawn from a national phone survey of 1,380 Internet users in June, coupled with more than 4,000 spam stories gathered from consumers in a Web-based survey by the Telecommunications Research & Action Center. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus three points.
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Other survey findings
76%
e-mail users who are bothered by offensive or obscene content of spam.
52%
say spam has made them less trusting of e-mail in general.
30%
are concerned that their filtering devices may block important incoming e-mails.
73%
avoid giving out their e-mail addresses out of fear of attracting spam.–krt