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I always hate these comparisons because they have no basis in reality. Food, drugs, and sex are basic human drives. You can't compare them to something as ephemeral as email.

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That's not true. Communication(what email is for) is a basic need. Consider how much you spend on your mobile phone every year.

The mobile phone is a better comparison, but you're dealing in abstract concepts now, not the simple neurochemicals your brain has spent millions of years evolving to crave. Plus, email is probably one of the least satisfying forms of communication.

> Food, drugs, and sex are basic human drives.

And then there's coffee, which exceeds them all :)

Coffee is a drug, combined with a tasty delivery mechanism that registers as food to the reptilian brain.

For that matter, so is beer!

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