Blackberry dangers and distractions
BlackBerries have become a staple of workplace technology, allowing busy employees access to their email anytime, anywhere. But is mobile technology helping or hindering your productivity at work?
There are more than 4.3 million BlackBerry subscribers in North America (and growing rapidly) and some of them are so addicted to their BlackBerry that they have a Pavlovian response when it silently jiggles on their hip or in their purse. They just must check it immediately, regardless of what they’re doing — whether they’re in the middle of an important conversation with their boss, in a big meeting, typing on their computer, or at home with their family. No wonder the device has garnered the nickname “CrackBerry.” One recent study by Toronto’s Ryerson University found these were “dangerous, distracting, anti-social” usage patterns that also intruded on employee’s personal time.
Some heavy users say they write and check emails even while driving down the highway, admitting they had several times narrowly escaped getting into an accident because they were too busy typing on their BlackBerry to watch the road (I personally know one woman that had three car accidents that were BlackBerry related). Still, these users didn’t see anything wrong with this behind-the-wheel multitasking. Others admitted to paying more attention to their BlackBerry than their colleagues while in meetings, and regularly checking their BlackBerry while on vacation. But the study found that these users don’t see their actions as harmful, they only see the benefit of being able to access and respond to email no matter where they are.
But BlackBerries have also freed people from their desks. The benefits are the easy and instant access to email for employees, no matter where they are, which obviously gives them more freedom to choose where they work and who gets a quick response. The device allows workers to multitask silently since they don’t have to talk on the phone. It also means they have the information on hand to make decisions immediately if necessary.
Other recent studies have examined how technology that lets you be contacted and connected all the time can hurt your productivity. Studies in the U.S. have found workers are interrupted up to 70 times a day and that distractions such as instant email notifications from ever-present BlackBerries, can take up 25 per cent of a worker’s day. However, the users in the Ryerson study acknowledged the device is a distraction, but they argued it was a necessary one that helped them manage their busy jobs better and makes sure they don’t miss a beat wherever they are.
My personal horror story happened as I was, well, ahem, “sitting down”, shall we say, in the mens’ room, and I got a BlackBerry message from my neighbour; “is that you?” Dude, that’s just wrong.
This is sooo true. Lol for the part at the end