35% Of Americans Now Consult Chain E-Mail Before Important Decisions

The New Year found many more people consulting chain e-mail letters for guidance in their lives.

A recent Gallup/Investigative Reports Poll shows that 35% of Americans rely on chain mail to help guide them in their daily decision-making, compared to 23% who consult their horoscopes. This is almost an exact reversal from the 2001 figures of 21% for chain letters and 37% for horoscopes. 12% said they consult both chain letters and horoscopes, unchanged from the 2001 figure.

Psycologist Colin Defourre said that the findings where not surprising. "People are always looking for advice, and these chain letters are the perfect medium to get advice," Defourre says. "People see these letters, with their fancy images and rhyming messages, some even with music in the background, and they can't even believe they once consulted the stars to see which day was the best to ask for a raise."

Its true that stars are not nearly as glitzy as some of these new chain letters, and with raging light pollution in many urban areas making most stars used in horoscopes impossible to see with the unaided eye, people are begining to doubt the accuracy of such forecasts.

"I simply cannot believe that the stars can provide accurate direction or advice for me and millions of other Arieses out there" said Kim Cataral of Springfield, Mass. who consults her inbox every morning for advice. "I consulted my horoscope for a little while several years back, and it never helped me out. But with chain letters, I know that what it says is good. Knowing today is my day for love right after I forward the message to ten of my single friends is so comforting." Obviously, this news doesn't please everyone, especially astrologers. "People don't understand the effects this could have on the course of human history," Doug Alester, president of the Brotherhood of Astrologers and Reality Distorters, Local 184 in Quincy, Mass. BAstaRD has long been a vocal advocate against chain letters, citing unreliable anonymous sources relating depressing tales of raises not given and lovers lost based on advise given in these letters. "In almost all of these cases, a simple glance at their horoscope would have told these people that that day just wouldn't be their day." Other sources of advice included Dr. Phil (9%), Martha Stewart (7%), all other sources or no answer rounded out the last 14%. The margin of error was +/- 3.25%.