Are You Addicted To Your Blackberry?

Many people own a Blackberry device these days. For some it’s a useful tool for keeping in touch with family and friends, for others it’s essential for business. But what happens when you develop an unhealthy attachment to your Blackberry and it becomes a ‘Crackberry’?

We all know somebody that this applies to, or at the very least we know of somebody. Some sit typing, or talking, away on their phones in full view of infuriated friends, family or colleagues while others adopt a stealth approach by sneaking off to take a call or reply to an email. Friends complain of feeling left out, ignored or insulted. They’re right on all three counts.

Let’s put this into context. Think about the emails you received today. How many required your urgent attention? How many were just traffic that could either be ignored or dealt with at a later time? Chances are only a few percent were urgent. So why do people become obsessed with checking their emails? Because it’s a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. You may feel restless, anxious, frustrated or annoyed that you can’t check your email the moment your phone vibrates and/or announces to the world that you have a message. You may convince yourself that it’s of vital importance to your well-being that you keep on top of your messages. It’s like being physically and emotionally tethered.

So what can you do? Think about the following:

• What would happen if you didn’t respond to your messages straight away? How urgent are they really? Will your life be permanently ruined if you don’t read, or respond to, that email?
• Establish ’Blackberry free’ times and places, for example your home between 6pm and 9pm daily.
• Leave your Blackberry at home next time you go out for a meal. How did you feel?
• For every hour that you don’t check your Blackberry give yourself a reward. Repeatedly tell yourself that you are getting your life back.  
• Ask the people around you how they feel about your Blackberry use. You may be surprised by their response.
• When you get the urge to check your messages try and delay doing so by 10 minutes. Did the urge subside over time, or increase?
• Are you missing out on life without realising it? What are the advantages and disadvantages of responding to messages immediately? When you check your messages constantly does the urge subside upon checking, or do the urges increase and motivate you to check more often? 
• Remind yourself that you own the Blackberry, it doesn’t own you.