A recent study in the Journal of Marriage and Family [1] has illustrated that the round-the-clock availability cell phones and pagers provide have taken a toll on family life. This study, which followed more than 1,300 adults over 2 years, found that those who consistently used a mobile phone or pager throughout the study period were more likely to report negative "spillover" between work and home life -- and, in turn, less satisfaction with their family life.
Though I am a certified Tech Geek, I do not, DO NOT, use my cell phone. In fact, I throw away a good chunk of change just to have it in the chance emergency that I might need it. I don't want to be that reachable, that accessible, that connected. My pager is used for emergencies in my practice, which gratefully are not that often. And if George Clooney is trying to get in touch with me, he knows how to find me.
What ever happened to quiet and stillness?
It is my opinion that not only does the excessive use of cell phones burden the levels of stress on the body and the psyche, but that the art of patience is lost. We have become a society of instant gratification on so many levels. I worry about the fallout of it all. Am I alone in this aversion to the cell phone and to wax nostalgic for the olden days of letter writing, the weekly phone call and smoke signals?
Footnotes
[1] Noelle, C. (2005) Blurring boundaries? Linking technology use, spillover, individual distress, and family satisfaction . Journal of Marriage and Family, 12, pp. 1237-1248.
