Gadgets Impact on the Family

If you are addicted to your Blackberry, or any other gadget that you use outside the office you should really read this:

BlackBerry Orphans – Wall Street Journal

The refusal of parents to follow a few simple rules is pushing some children to the brink. They are fearful that parents will be distracted by emails while driving, concerned about Mom and Dad’s shortening attention spans and exasperated by their parents’ obsession with their gadgets. Bob Ledbetter III, a third-grader in Rome, Ga., says he tries to tell his father to put the BlackBerry down, but can’t even get his attention. “Sometimes I think he’s deaf,” says the 9-year-old.

These things all have one really important button – “Off”.

I haven’t fallen into complete addiction, yet, but I know what these kids are talking about. The other day I found myself at the dinner table with friends searching for something on my phone. Sue pointed out in very clear terms how rude this was, and she was 100% right. I won’t be doing that again.