The Blackberry has become a ubiquitous status symbol of and tool for
businesspeople doing business. In offices, on the streets, and in
airports, what self-respecting businessperson doesn’t have his or her
Blackberry (or other smartphone) at the ready to make the deal, provide
support, change the plan, or just stay up to date on his or company’s
latest developments at a moment’s notice. The Blackberry’s ability to
provide businesspeople with instant access to others through email,
text messaging, and phone has, in theory, saved time and made the
business world run more smoothly by keeping everyone in a company
connected all day every day. It can truly be a tool for increased
communication, efficiency, and productivity.

The Dark Side of Blackberry

Unfortunately, the Blackberry also represents a corporate culture
gone mad, in which everyone feels they are so important and needed that
they simply can’t be out of touch with work lest the company collapses
without their constant input and output. The Blackberry has, falling
prey to the theory of unintended consequences, become a weapon against
businesspeople that has hurt corporate discipline, focus ,and
productivity. It has also created an upheaval in the already fragile
balance between work and life. This state of being always connected has
blurred (or obliterated) the lines between work and life, creating
marital and family conflict, and destroying any hope of peace and
tranquility when away from the office. Perhaps the last refuge on Earth
from the imposition of the Blackberry may be the airplane, though that
final line of defense against the Blackberry onslaught will surely fall
in the next few years.

There is even an all-too-familiar name for this abuse-”Crackberry
addiction”-that describes the inability to live without being connected
24/7. Symptoms of Crackberry addiction include worry that you will miss
something at work if your Blackberry isn’t bolted to your hip at every
moment of the day, compulsive checking of your Blackberry for emails
and calls, and panic if you leave your Blackberry at home or are out of
reach of it for even a moment.

Do You Have a Problem?

So who’s in charge here? Are you master of your Blackberry or does your Blackberry own you? Here are a few ways to tell:

• Do you put your Blackberry on your nightstand before you go to sleep?
• Do you do make or take business calls when you are out with your family?
• Do you get anxious when you can’t get a cellular signal?
• Do you check your emails while at dinner, the movies, or other activities?
• Do you take your Blackberry with you wherever you go?
• Does your family or friends give you exasperated looks when you pull out your Blackberry?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, you are a Crackberry addict and, yes, you have a problem.

Intervention Time

The first step to overcoming your Crackberry addiction is admitting
that you have a problem. Despite the attachment (dare I say dependence)
that you have for your Blackberry ,there is a part of you deep inside
that resents the power that it has over you. You may feel a subtle, yet
delicious, sense of relief when you “accidently” leave it at work or
have guilt-laden fantasies of dropping and breaking your Blackberry-by
accident, of course-requiring you to be without it for a few days while
it is fixed or replaced. Your family and friends may have to organize
an “intervention” in which they force you to confront your Crackberry
addiction and encourage you to seek help to overcome the dependence.

The next step is to stand up to your Blackberry-”I will not let you
control my life!”-and choose to reject its destructive power over you.

Breaking Free

Despite the obvious tongue-in-cheek tone so far, Crackberry
addiction has real consequences both at work and at home and, if you
suffer from this malady, there are some tangible things that you can do
to break the grip that your Blackberry has on you. Here are some simple
rules you can follow to help you regain control of your Blackberry so
it is once again a tool of efficiency and productivity rather than a
weapon against your freedom and mental health.

Rule #1: Don’t look at your Blackberry in the
morning until you get to work. Peeking at your email or phone messages
before you have dressed or had breakfast will create unnecessary worry
and stress. If you’re married with children, it will also prevent you
from being engaged with your family during breakfast. In fact, don’t
even look at your Blackberry during the drive to work; again, it would
serve no purpose as you can’t (or, at least, you shouldn’t) be thumb
typing during your commute.

Rule #2: Don’t look at your Blackberry during the
day unless you are ready to act on it. It’s not uncommon for
businesspeople to look at their Blackberry as they head into a meeting
or just before a conference call. The primary consequence of doing this
is that you will be distracted for your next task. You will be thinking
about what you found on your Blackberry instead of focusing on the
upcoming task.

Rule #3: Turn off all Blackberrys during meetings.
There are few things more irritating and distracting than having people
at a meeting looking at and typing into their Blackberrys. They are
clearly not paying attention to the meeting and, therefore, unable to
contribute in any meaningful way. It also distracts others at the
meeting. And it will prolong the meeting because, without focus, issues
will not be discussed thoughtfully and effective problem solving and
decision making will be unlikely.

Rule #4: Don’t do Blackberry when you are doing
life. In other words, don’t look at your Blackberry if you are
interacting with others, doing something that is supposed to clear your
mind of work clutter, such as exercise, meditation, having a meal, or
watching a movie, or doing anything that requires focus and effort.
There is nothing more annoying to family and friends than to be with
you when you are making business calls or responding to email-why are
you even with them if you are doing business? It’s okay to check your
Blackberry periodically, but ONLY IF you don’t interrupt more important
life stuff and ONLY IF you are expecting something that you may have to
act on quickly.

Letting Go

Crackberry addiction is, like a drug, a habit that develops through
repeated use. But, unlike a drug which has a physiological foundation
for the dependence, Crackberry addiction is only your perception that
you need your Blackberry 24/7. The reality is that, except for a few
very, very, very important people in the world, nobody needs to be so
connected. That may be a blow to your ego, but that realization will
help you let go of your attachment to your Blackberry. Also, once you
commit to only reasonable use of your Blackberry, you will actually
feel liberated. The people in your life will welcome you back from the
Blackberry precipice and actually want to be around you. You will be
more relaxed, more engaged in life, your relationships will improve,
and you will feel happier. So repeat after me, “My name is [insert your
name here] and I’m a Crackberry addict.” You are now on the road to
recovery.

To read more about the psychology of business, click here.