GMX

• Average American checks free email accounts several times a day
• Over half currently failing to keep up to date with emails

Philadelphia, PA (December 1, 2008) -- Over 40 percent of the American public admit to feelings of guilt at failing to keep on top of emails from friends and family, according to a survey conducted by MaCorr Research and released today by GMX, http://www.gmx.com, the free email service for more than 11 million active users. From those surveyed, an alarming 55 percent admitted that they were currently overwhelmed with emails from personal contacts. The survey of over 1000 US consumers1 also found that Americans are heavily reliant on their free email services, with the average individual using 2 separate personal accounts checking them several times a day.

While email-related stress is normally seen as a workplace problem, the GMX ‘Personal Email Matters’ study found that an alarming number of Americans are suffering from negative emotions caused by a failure to cope with their personal emails. Over half (55 percent) of people surveyed expressed concern that they could not keep up to date with their personal emails. The results of individuals not keeping up with email include accounts closing, losing contact with friends, missing birthdays and forgetting to pay bills.

Eva Heil, Managing Director, GMX, said, “Our research shows that the pressure to keep on top of personal email is a major cause for concern for a great many Americans, who place a high importance on keeping in touch with friends and family. It is therefore all the more important for providers to make email management as easy and effective as possible.” She criticizes that common web clients do not offer similar mod cons to those of office email programs, which could, if providers would invest more into the usability of their products.

The research lends weight to the argument that email related angst is just as prevalent at home as in the workplace. Of the 60 percent surveyed who email as part of their employment, more than half (53 percent) wished that they could keep as up to date with personal email as well as they do with work email.

Furthermore, the public does not appear entirely satisfied with the free email services that they are using. Many consumers find components of their free email service challenging from aspects such as remembering multiple passwords (42 percent) to checking multiple accounts (40 percent). The biggest technical challenge for users of free email services appears to be SPAM, which causes regular stress for 58 percent of us.

By considering a few rules one can easily reduce stress and ensure that personal email remains a pleasure. Below, GMX offers its “Hot 5 Tips” for angst-free email:

1. Keep your primary email address exclusive
   Only people you trust should know your email address. If you are in doubt, you should use an alternative email address.
2. Choose a service that can handle all your email accounts in one place
   Some webmail services allow you to collect all your existing accounts or offer multiple email addresses within one account.
3. Sort emails within folders
   Keep your inbox clean. Set up folders for contacts or important topics. Good services offer filters to sort emails automatically.
4. Touch an email once
   When reading an email either reply immediately or archive it into the right folder. If you want to reply later, set it to unread status to remind yourself to look at it.
5. Face the issues
   If your personal email is causing you stress, then it is time to act! Tell your friends if you don’t want to receive tons of ‘funny’ email. Don’t use your main email address for competitions or signing up to online services. Consider changing your service if you think yours does not offer what you need – it’s likely to be worth the effort.

Heil added, “How we manage our personal emails is as important to consider as any work email issue. It pays all around to review whether your current email platform is working as effectively as you need it to.”

With over 11 million active users, GMX draws on over a decade of free email expertise and is well placed to offer a reliable, secure service. Besides great looks, great performance and state-of-the-art functionality, GMX.com offers the widest selection of first-choice addresses such as name@gmx.com.

Free email has grown up, find it at GMX. The new free email service can be seen at www.gmx.com

¹ 1008 US adults surveyed by MaCorr Research in 2008 via electronic feedback form