It is indeed possible for people to be productive in a work context using new technologies that enable them to work remotely. However, while virtuality is often touted as a factor that improves and enables quality communication, I believe that the gains from using communications technology are primarily cost reductions.
What types of work can be done virtually? Professional journalists can now easily freelance for multiple newspapers, using technology to complete and submit their tasks in a proficient and professional manner. Other sorts of IT, design, technical and artistic tasks can also be done virtually. The key work is ‘tasks’—transactional tasks are the type of work best done virtually, and when travel is no longer necessary for these, costs are reduced. [...]

Recently Andrew and I were mentioned in Stefan Stern’s column in the FT on our report looking at managers’ addiction to communications technologies.
Eleven million bits of information are thrown at our senses every second. The human mind is able to process forty bits of information at one time, and can focus on seven (plus or minus two) bits of information at one time. Clearly a lot passes us by—and the information that people are receiving but not processing causes many to suffer from information overload. People try to focus on the forty bits they can process, but they just can’t do it, and they may miss or ignore important things. [...]

More people are using the mobile internet in the United States than before — 39% of the adult population are connecting to the internet through their mobile phones, according to The Mobile Difference , a recent report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. The report broke these users down into five groups: Digital Collaborators, Ambivalent Networkers, Media Movers, Roving Nodes, and Mobile Newbies. [...]

Last post about Obama’s BlackBerry–I promise. The issue of Obama using a special BlackBerry as a tool to lead has remained in the press even after Obama has settled into office. On a recent interview on American TV, Obama joked that his BlackBerry turns into a car . [...]

After seeing reports that President Obama wouldn’t be allowed to keep his BlackBerry, or might be allowed to use an approved alternative device , it’s interesting to finally see in this New York Times report that Obama has actually been able to keep his BlackBerry, or a “more sophisticated, encryped variation.” Only a very limited number of high-level officials have Obama’s email address, and messages that Obama sends cannot be forwarded. [...]

In the lead up Barack Obama’s inauguration next week, much has been written about his dependence on his BlackBerry. It appears that he will not be able to continue using it once he becomes president, due to the lack of security for messages and the need for all presidential communications to be recorded and later made available to the public. But Obama is rather fond of the device–he said in an interview on American TV:
They’re going to pry it out of my hands. This is a concern, I should add, not just of Secret Service, but also lawyers.
While a heavy user, I don’t think Obama is a BlackBerry addict –he seems able to focus on things and work without his BlackBerry when necessary. I’m sure he’ll follow the rules (and perhaps switch to an approved device [...]

In our book Intimacy , Andrew and I found that advances in IT can facilitate greater intimacy of relationships among colleagues. However, this does not necessarily seem to be the case for non-colleague spouses and partners. This week I came across this recent survey from Sheraton hotels which found that 35% of respondents would pick their Blackberry over their partner.
Now, I know that sometimes a Blackberry may compete with a spouse for attention, but I think that 35% of people choosing the device over the person is endemic of the BlackBerry addiction and technology addiction more generally I’ve found in my research. If someone chooses his BlackBerry over his spouse, and brings it into the bedroom (87% of respondents), and admits he ‘loves’ it (62%) (findings that echo my own research), then clearly this person needs to reexamine his priorities.

Today T-Mobile and Google launched a new mobile phone that promises to integrate with one’s personal email in the same way that a BlackBerry integrates with one’s work email. I wonder if having one’s personal email easily at hand will lead to addictive behaviours like those I found in a study related to BlackBerry addiction that I did with David Vance of Rutgers earlier this year.
In that study, we found that a third of BlackBerry users show signs of addiction similar to alcoholics. Having these devices can create productive time out of travel and waiting time, but the BlackBerry also makes people work longer, increases stress and interrupts personal time.
Now, easily accessible personal email on mobile phones, like on the new T-Mobile G1 or Apple’s iPhone, could also be a distraction, but it’s more likely that people will [...]