Online Surveys: A Harmless Past Time or an Addiction in the Making?

Hello. My name is Valerie and I am an online survey junkie.

I hate chain mail where bad fortune will befall you if you don't send it on to one thousand of your friends in the next 10 seconds, but if you send me a survey I will fill it out. Every. Single. Time. It doesn't matter how many times I have told you what my favorite color is, the color of the shirt that I am currently wearing, or who I think will respond the fastest-I will fill it out again. It doesn't matter if I have to use the bathroom, the phone is ringing or if my eyes are crossing from sitting at the computer for hours. I will fill it out again.

I know what my Star Wars name, my soap opera name, my Iraqi name and my witness protection name would be.
I know four jobs that my aunt, best friend and mother have had.
I know what time my cousin in Italy got up this morning.
I know that I am a "Zen Mother" as opposed to a "Slacker Mom."
I know that I remember a freakish amount about high school.
And the best part? I know all these things about all my other survey junkie friends as well.

Yes, the online survey world is a network of co-dependant relationships. I know what my friend's favorite color is...hell we lived together for most of our college years so there is very little that I don't know about her...but I send it to her anyway. I don't really care what my aunt in Pittsburgh is wearing on her feet at this very moment...but I'll ask her anyway. I'm a little scared to know what my mom was doing this time last night, but I'll ask anyway.
Maybe the world of sending and receiving online surveys satisfies the voyeur in me. I am not really into reality shows so maybe this is where I get my fix. I could not tell you who is still in the running for American Idol or if Survivor is even still on the air, but I can tell you my sister's favorite flavor of ice cream.
I never send these surveys to my husband because you always hide your addictions from those you love the most. He wouldn't fill them out and send them back anyway, but now I guess that the secret is out.

Consider this the first meeting of OSJA-Online Survey Junkies Anonymous. This first step to getting help is admitting you have a problem. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go tell several of my closest friends and relatives the last time I colored my hair, went on vacation, what my first car was-again. Hey, I never said recovery would be easy.