BlackBerry causing addiction concerns

US worried while UK can't get enough

22 August 2006 17:48 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Researchers in America at Rutgers University voiced concern over the 24/7 business ethos created by the BlackBerry suggesting that employers who encourage non-stop work connections via technology may wind up with liability for encouraging addiction among their staff.

According to Gayle Porter, an associate professor of management at the Rutgers University School of Business at Camden, the fast and relentless pace of technology-enhanced work environments creates a source of stimulation that may become addictive.

"Addiction to technology can be equally damaging to the mental health of the worker", said Porter.

However new research in the UK has revealed that 90% of BlackBerry users find the device a business lifesaver, helping them to avoid a variety of damaging business situations, particularly when it comes to customer service.

The research, which was conducted by YouGov on behalf of T-Mobile, found that more than a third of people said they would feel more stressed when out of the office if they didn’t have their BlackBerry and 18% feel that they wouldn’t be able to cope with their current workload.

One in 10 users said would be "devastated" if their email tool was taken away from them.

Further more, nearly half of people feel that a customer relationship would have been compromised if they had not responded to an email quickly. Over two-thirds thought the device was a status symbol that gave them more standing among clients; 15% of respondents have actually won new business thanks to the gadget.

Either way, with a new product launch rumoured next month, workers dependence on the handheld device is unlikely to disappear any time soon.

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Phones, Mobile phones, RIM, Palm