Crackberry Addiction (posted by Brad Bowers)

Although I haven't owned a Crackberry since their very first device came out (and all of us hotshots at CNET wanted one because Halsey had one), I still have always used an email-enabled PDA or phone, so I'm essentially just as addicted as actual Blackberry users.

This article pretty much nails it in regards to how addicted we Americans (especially) are to our email and devices.  Always on.

"The first casualty is home life. The BlackBerry user is never really at home. He may be in the room, but his mind is at work. The temptation to check is too great, even if you're meant to be cooking supper or bathing the kids."

"The line you almost never hear is "my employer makes me carry this thing". The truth is, we're doing it to ourselves and this is surely the BlackBerry's most pernicious feature. A whole cohort of workers are turning themselves into virtual slaves, on duty day and night for no extra payment. Their work now intrudes into their bathrooms, their bedrooms, even their sleep. The mobile device was sold as a form of liberation: now your office can be the beach. The trouble is, it's turned the beach into the office."

I try to get away from checking my 8525 if I'm able, but I do inevitably get sucked in all the time, checking emails again and again.

I posted a while back on my purchase of a Razor phone to use on the weekends, and often I do use it.  Aside from being small, it's great because it has no email access.  I'm free from checking it.

One of the things I dislike most, although I've occasionally done this myself, is when people are checking their Crackberries during meetings.  It really is the epitome of rudeness.  It's that person essentially saying "although you are her in-person, something more important may be happening in my email inbox" or "although I'm meeting with you, I'm far too important to focus solely on you."

I'm sure not everyone thinks these thoughts consciously, but they are there inside.

Nonetheless, I do find having immediate, portable access to my email a mostly good thing.  My wife strongly disagrees!

Comments

[Blackblade]

Well and cogently argued. I think you have absolutely hit the nail on the head; the ability to receive business communication in a social setting has not made work our playground ... it's turned the playground into work.

However, as you also say, I think you are absolutely right in pointing out that this is not sommething that our employers "do to us" but, instead, something we do ourselves because of a desire to do well and because of the psychological impact of knowing something is waiting for us.

What to do ?

[duşakabin]

Thank You..