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CrackBerry - Are We Too Connected? |
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By Trevor Colom
Director of Account Planning
With an increase in social networking and unlimited access to the Internet, there has been a surge in "statusing" and a need for constant connectivity. Because of this need for connectivity some, and even most, people seem to suffer from a touch of separation anxiety - yes, you need to turn off your phone while on an airplane. Many work in offices that have people who are hard-core addicts, and you can watch them fidget when they are away from their computers, fearing the world has moved on without them. They have become so obsessed they can barely carry on a conversation when you encounter them in the hall because they haven't checked their email or updated their status in 20 seconds.
Is this obsession contributing to a decrease in productivity? Some companies believe if they ban personal Internet use in the workplace, they will actually be helping to improve overall productivity at work. However, a report by PopCap Games claims the exact opposite. They found that a 10-minute online break from work not only reduces stress, but also sharpens and refocuses the mind.
So what is it with this ever persistent need to check our email or Twitter status (or whatever platform of networking you prefer), and what are its controlling effects on the average working soul? Has the elusive cigarette break transformed into a “gotta check my email/Facebook/MySpace/Twitter" break? Or is it even bigger than a 5-10 minute cigarette break, maybe even a problem? Are we less productive because the obsession with "statusing" takes away from the time we spend on our work? Or are we more productive because the first thing we do when we wake up in the morning is check our phones to see if we have missed any calls or text messages? We even check our newest emails from our BlackBerry/iPhone before that first cup of coffee.
Furthermore, are we losing the desire to communicate with others in our office and therefore, sabotaging interpersonal relationships because we would rather be updating our cyber world than having a conversation? Forget about have lunch with a colleague because the desire to check email or to see if sports_fan88 has IM'd you greatly outweighs the desire for a lunch break.
So why do we feel the need to be so connected? What is the next stage in "statusing"? Is it picture "statusing"? Is it GPS Twitter? Is it the ijustine model that will not only allow us to tell people where we are, but show them?
Two questions:
1) How many social sites do you belong to?
2) Does your cell phone, iPhone, BlackBerry EVER get powered off?
I really need to know. |
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Comments |
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08.14.08
Posted by Gareth
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1) Four or Five, although I only actively log in to one (MySpace, because most people I know are on there)
2) No, never - unless I'm on vacation and actively seeking that disconnected, cut off from the world feeling. |
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08.14.08
Posted by Mmoney
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1) 4- Myspace, Linkedin, Facebook, Plaxo Pulse
2) No, never |
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08.15.08
Posted by P Baller
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1. 6: Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Twitter, Newsvine
2. Really? People turn theirs off? |
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