American Time Use Survey

Telephone Calls, Mail, and E-mail

Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail captures communication by telephone, mail, and e-mail. For a more detailed description of this activity category, see the ATUS 2011 Technical Note.

Tables on this page:

Other sources of ATUS data

Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail on weekdays and weekend days in 2011

Time spent engaged in telephone calls, mail, and e-mail (1) and percent of the civilian population engaged in these activities, averages per day on weekdays and weekends, 2011 annual averages
Activity Average hours per day, civilian population Average percent engaged in the activity per day Average hours per day for persons who engaged in the activity
Weekdays Weekends and holidays (2) Weekdays Weekends and holidays (2) Weekdays Weekends and holidays (2)

Total, telephone calls, mail, and e-mail

 .16 .15 22.4 18.5 .71 .80

Telephone calls (to or from)

 .10 .09 13.2 12.1 .75 .76

Household and personal messages

 .06 .05 11.8 8.1 .48 .66

Household and personal mail and messages

 .02 .01 5.8 2.9 .30 .37

Household and personal e-mail and messages

 .04 .04 6.7 5.6 .60 .78

Travel related to telephone calls

 ~0 ~0 .5 .5 .48 .48

Footnotes:
(1) All estimates refer to time spent engaged in telephone calls, mail, and e-mail as a main (primary) activity. Other activities done simultaneously are not included.
(2) Holidays are New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. In 2011, data were not collected about Christmas Day.
~0 Estimate is approximately zero.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 15 years and over.

These and other detailed activity estimates are also available in:

Table A-2: Time spent in detailed primary activities, and percent of the civilian population engaging in each detailed primary activity category, averages per day by sex on weekdays and weekends, 2011 annual averages (PDF)

For a further description of ATUS data and methodology, see the ATUS 2011 Technical Note.

Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail done by men and women in 2011

Time spent engaged in telephone calls, mail, and e-mail (1) and percent of the civilian population engaged in these activities, averages per day by sex, 2011 annual averages
Activity Average hours per day, civilian population Average percent engaged in the activity per day Average hours per day for persons who engaged in the activity
Total Men Women Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total, telephone calls, mail, and e-mail

 .16 .11 .20 21.2 16.5 25.7 .73 .66 .78

Telephone calls (to or from)

 .10 .06 .13 12.9 9.0 16.5 .75 .67 .79

Household and personal messages

 .06 .05 .07 10.7 9.1 12.3 .52 .51 .53

Household and personal mail and messages

 .02 .01 .02 5.0 4.3 5.6 .31 .26 .35

Household and personal e-mail and messages

 .04 .04 .05 6.3 5.4 7.2 .64 .66 .63

Travel related to telephone calls

 ~0 ~0 ~0 .5 .4 .6 .48 .44 .50

Footnotes:
(1) All estimates refer to time spent engaged in telephone calls, mail, and e-mail as a main (primary) activity. Other activities done simultaneously are not included.
~0 Estimate is approximately zero.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 15 years and over.

These and other detailed activity estimates are also available in:

Table A-1. Time spent in detailed primary activities and percent of the civilian population engaging in each detailed primary activity category, averages per day by sex, 2011 annual averages (PDF)

For a further description of ATUS data and methodology, see the ATUS 2011 Technical Note.

Other sources of ATUS data

ATUS news releases

ATUS tables

ATUS charts

ATUS papers and publications

Last Modified Date: June 22, 2012

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