ARS Technica published an article on the results of a survey done by Digital Life America that concluded that Blackberry owners are chained to work; not a big surprise here.
“The results were split exactly three ways: a third agreed, a third remained neutral, and a third disagreed. Among just those who own a BlackBerry-like device, the results were also almost equally divided, with 34 percent agreeing and 37 percent disagreeing.”
Some of the conclusions include:
- survey results showed that those who owned a BlackBerry were, in fact, more likely to work long hours than those who didn't.
- 19 percent of BlackBerry-owning survey respondents reportedly worked more than 50 hours a week, compared to only 11 percent of the general population.
- a higher percentage of BlackBerry owners also felt that they didn't have enough personal time in their lives – 53 percent, compared to the 40 percent average.
- the average household income of BlackBerry owners was nearly 50 percent higher than the national average, at about $94,000, indicating that those who own BlackBerry-like devices may share some more overachieving (or is that overworking?) personality traits.
And the kicker is: "The expectation on the part of the employer is that once they have it they will be accessible at all times. There are no more boundaries or times when they are unreachable, even on vacation" (of course, as I've seen the mentality is that if the employer pays for the handset, they think they have the right to call anytime, which is of course ludicrous).
My own conclusion here is that while 34% the people surveyed realize they are chained to work, the other 66% are in total denial.
I wonder how prevalent this issue of work balance is on other parts of the world? Here in the U.S. it happens a lot.
It is up to us as individuals to draw the line between work and private/personal time…
ceo