The same situation happened to me. People setting meetings using IM group at 14h to a 17h meeting! I guess people are a bit insane regarding whatsapp/telegram/messenger.

Now, every workgroup I have, I give them my business card with my e-mail, cellphone, website, name. And I tell I don't use IM and I don't use social media, facebook, twitter, etc. Any problem, call me.

Usually the working group assign my chores, I deliver my part of the work in no more than 48h to the whole group e-mails. And I got no misinterpretation since them. Every lab report worked perfect, and I don't have annoying people with insane meetings all of a sudden.

Nowadays I check my email 4 times a day, 7, 12AM , 18, 22 hours. It is way better in my opinion to have all my communication centralized in e-mail and phone. I guess I never received a phone about college stuff. Just my parents call me in fact. Or friends, in case they don't find me.

I have no smartphone (I do own a cellphone), I carry my small laptop (chromebook) with me all day and I use only library hotspots. Usually I leave my replies to lunchtime and 6PM, when I have more time available.

So I guess 2 to 4 e-mail checks a day are normal. During vacation I am 3 weeks completely offline, I play my offline games, exercise a bit, listen to music and read.