I lost my BlackBerry. Boo-hoo!

I've been tempted for a while to write about BlackBerry-itis. Like what happens to drivers once they get behind a steering wheel, most people's behaviour seems to change almost overnight once they get a BlackBerry. I can understand that the constant access to e-mail is a benefit, for busy executives or for other adults who use e-mail as a way of organizing life. But there has to be some thought about limiting its use.

I just came across some really pertinent articles. The first refers to the Chicago Sheraton Hotel that offers a BB detox, and will lock away the offending device free of charge, so that vacation time can be time for not checking e-mail. The second article is really scary, and highlights that more couples are sleeping in separate beds or even different rooms due to addiction to their gadgets. Forbes magazine has written that "around-the-clock access to the office often results in fatigue, a lack of intimacy, resentment, increased conflict and even premature career burnout."

My wife has noted that she has seen more people using BlackBerries in Barbados than anywhere else. I think they are very visible in Bim, but that may be the gimmick as they have not been on the market long. It seems cool to have the thing on show, like the top strap of a thong. Having just been to New York, I saw plenty on show, but I think that in the US people don't feel the need for such PDAs, ie "prominently displayed assets".

I won't pretend to be holier-than-thou. I never had my choice fruit until I arrived in Bim, and it has been wonderfully useful, I admit, because I had been accustomed to being close to my e-mail in an office. But now, being at home most of the time, or somehow attached to my toddler, my berry proves its worth. But I am still going to push for better social etiquette from BB users. We went to dinner recently and an acquaintance spent most of the meal time tapping out some "important messages", while complaining about how tired she was and how long the day had been; she barely touched her food.

I've tried to limit my BB use when in company. I see no problem with viewing messages if one is truly alone, but the use should stop once another person is present. No sneaky peeky when your partner heads for the bathroom during that "intimate dinner". Like cell phones, one has to decide what is appropriate. It should be kept discreet in public, so no buzzing or ringing. It should not be used when a couple is in bed: that's a real libido killer. Nor should it appear at meal times. If the messages are that important, leave and read them then come back. I recall seeing a lawyer being interviewed on TV recently, and she obviously thought that no one would see that she was tapping messages on her BB while ranting about some issue, then the camera panned away and there were the furtive hands tapping away in her lap for the world to see. A moment of sincere insincerity.

And just like that, I'm without my Berry. Lost (I think in a New York cab). Does it miss me? I doubt it. Do I miss it? Not so much. I only wish it had the GPS set-up so that I could locate it. I dread having to set up a new device, though I think that BBs are easier than regular cell phones in that sense, and all important information will transfer automatically. That's my hope.