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Technology blurs personal and professional borders; for instance we can now chat with some friends on msn at work or have a business call when at home. But no technology blurs these borders as well as the BlackBerry.
Checking e-mails, answering phone calls… in a multi-tasking society the Blackberry seems to be the ideal tool.
The brand has created a site enabling people to say why they love their Blackberry. I am not going to judge the quality of this user-generated content site; all the ‘stories’ are very positive so far: ‘I live on this thing’, ‘I love the flexibility’, ‘It’s the best’, ‘I love the freedom’, ‘It makes my life easier’…
Well this campaign reminds me of a great post that Francis Pisani wrote. He is basically quoting an article from the Wall street journal and a radio broadcast from the NPR about the ‘BlackBerry orphans’.
This is very interesting: it seems some kids are starting to be ‘very annoyed’ and scared by their parents’ compulsive use of BlackBerry. Some of the examples are enlightening: ‘She’s always concentrating on that blasted thing’, ‘At my student orientation for high school, my mom was playing solitaire’ ‘Will Singletary, doesn’t approve of his dad’s proclivity for typing while driving. “It makes me worried he’s going to crash.”
‘Some mental-health professionals report that the intrusion of mobile email gadgets and wireless technology into family life is a growing topic of discussion in therapy.’
I think that this would be the right time to quote Francois Rabelais: ‘Science without conscience is the soul’s perdition.’
Hey Co,
Your post is interesting, and reminds of an article I read a few weeks ago in a human ressources magazine.
This article was pointing the fact that these new technologies of information and communication, such as Blackberries …, were having harmful consequences on manager’s private life.
Indeed, many managers have the feeling that their work continues when they’re at home, during the week end,…
Who or what is to blame ? The boss ? The new technologies ? Probably. The manager himself ? Probably, too… In fact, I believe that many managers hardly disconnect from their work (I don’t have this problem !). They ask themselves : what will happen if my boss tries to phone me on a Saturday afternoon but I’m not here to answer back ? What will be the consequences on my career ?
I think it’s a true issue for the future. With these new technologies, does a real frunteer between work and private life does exist ?
Hi Marc,
Thanks for contributing. Well your right the border between personal & professional life will be one of the major issue in the future. However we can’t blame the technology for that… Andre Comte-Sponville was saying in ‘Le capitalisme est-il moral ?’ that technology is neither moral nor immoral but that technology is amoral. Technology is not making any choices for us, we have to make them: career or family…
Btw I will be in Lyon for xmas, will you be there as well?
Nope, unfortunately, I won’t be in Lyon, but in BZh for Xmas, and in a “coron” (Lille, represent Pierre Bachelet) for New year’s day (represent Bono).
Hope to See U and Clem soon !
PS : you should visit Philippe Gardent blog. He’s a french linebacker playing for the Redskin’s training team. His blog describes his life as a professional football player.
adress : http://surlaroutedusuperbowl.blogspirit.com/