Beware BB devices
THEY don’t call them "CrackBerries” for nothing: BlackBerry (BB) devices can be so addictive that owners may need to be weaned off them with treatments similar to those used for addicted drug users, according to a 2006 study out of Rutgers University, New Jersey US.
Technology is developing at a rapid rate. The question is, are we developing at a rate at which we can manage it?
Everywhere one looks, one sees someone is totally engulfed in their BB, totally oblivious to the world around them.
I’m sure older readers remember a time when children used to play outside for fun. Today it is instant messaging and computer games.
Smartphones have become a way of life for most. One should also take into consideration that these devices are replacing face-to-face communication, creating a gap in communication among families and other relationships.
According to a study by members of Alfaisal University, Saudi Arabia, BB significantly affects children’s attention span. The brain is constantly processing information and unable to switch off because there are e-mails to process or information to surf for on the internet. Also the addiction results in children staying up for extended periods of time during the evenings.
So the brain is forced to rest during class time.
But these BB problems are not only relevant to children. Back in 2007, researchers at MIT’s Sloan School of Management found that BB use has a large impact on the workplace landscape, affecting expectations of work deadlines, employee availability and notions of free time.
And the problem appears to start at the top. When senior employees establish a pattern of constant communication, it quickly becomes the norm. What it all boils down to is a culture of stress in the workplace, all revolving around your BB.
So I am urging one and all to interact the old fashioned way. Where words like before are spelt B-E-F-O-R-E instead of "b4”. In the real world we speak English, not bingo.