14 September 2006
2006 - a hazardous year for communicators
Reports of the damage caused by prolific use of cell phones and Blackberries has led to mounting speculation among communicators and the press.
“Connected” communication, such as emails, texts and cell calls, has ridden a wave of media speculation in recent months as a growing number of research reports link it to possible health hazards. There's been widespread concern that people are addicted to their cell phones and email at the expense of work and often risking their mental and physical health.
Drug-like grip on communicators
Research published in May for IT firm Hewlett Packard
by London University’s
Kings College and TNS Research linked symptoms of addictive behavior
found amongst recreational drug users to those found in people who obsessively
monitor messages. emails in particular were found to be responsible
for an addictive, drug-like grip greater than that experienced by regular
cannabis users.
emails were found to be responsible for an addictive, drug-like grip greater than that experienced by regular cannabis users.
On average, trials among 1,100 people found that IQ loss was measured at 10 points, more than double the average loss of four points in studies of cannabis users.
Concern over "crackberries"
Similarly, research carried out by New Jersey’s Rutgers University
School found that use of Blackberries — or crackberries as they've
colloquially become known — is fuelling a rise in email and
internet addiction, with sufferers unable to survive more than a few
minutes without checking for new mail.
According to Professor Gayle Porter, who led the study, the effects of being addicted to Blackberries can be devastating. She claimed that addiction to technology could be equally damaging to health as chemical or substance addictions.
email makes you fat
At the beginning of the year, veteran rocker and Live8 organizer,
Bob Geldof, spoke out against the use of email. He claimed it stopped
people from doing “real” work and badly phrased emails were
perilous to productivity. His advice followed the launch of "email-Free
Friday" by Sport England as health experts accused email of making people
fat. It's been blamed with the loss of hours of vital exercise
each week as people no longer walk to each other’s desk but just
send messages.
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