# Blackberry Syndrome **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 9, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487 "2010-04-09T02:21:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/61 "2010-04-13T14:40:33Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > Really… I don’t care. I MAYBE visit my Facebook a couple times a week. There isn’t a person in the world I can’t go 8 hours without texting or e mailing. Not one. How did people survive before they had these capabilities? Current evidence points to increased attention spans caused by long-term lead poisoning. _This message posted by a co-worker responding to letters traced on her back with a finger_ ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/62 "2010-04-13T17:16:43Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > … . -.-- --..-- / … — – . / — ..-. / ..- … / … .- …- . / - — / … .- …- . / — ..- .-. / – — -. . -.-- .-.-.- > > _Sent from e-sabbath’s Babbage Machine_ Nice. Good job. It’s a dying art, I tell ya… ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/63 "2010-04-13T17:18:28Z")
Huh? _Sent via two soup cans tied together with string_ ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/64 "2010-04-13T17:30:44Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > Point taken, because I don’t like it when people drift in to my office just to bullshit. I rarely get around just to “bullshit.” My bullshitting is usually done on the way to see someone about a specific topic/task–something that takes a little more effort and discussion than just an email. Yeah, I’m not talking about bullshitting as much as the specific topic/task things. I just happen to be one of those people who prefers communicating in writing to communicating in person. I’ve got a coworker who’s particularly… tech-ignorant, shall we say, and he has a habit of doing things like coming to my desk with changes to a PPT deck and reading off every single one to me instead of just handing them to me. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/65 "2010-04-13T19:24:00Z")
**SfG** ’s got a valid point. Sometimes written communication is just far preferable - especially when there are instructions involved. I love paper trails. Not really, but it is a good CYA mechanism. However, I do love texting. The earlier example with sonic is very similar to how my husband and I communicate. I don’t want to _talk_ to him - I gotta talk to him when I go home. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/66 "2010-04-13T20:10:07Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > I love paper trails. Not really, but it is a good CYA mechanism. Exactly. And even in the best office environment, where there’s no need for the CYA aspects, there’s still the problem of, I’m going to have to write down everything you tell me anyway, so why not just write it down to begin with? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/67 "2010-04-13T20:40:32Z")
[QUOTE=Tripler] I believe that people feel like they must be a slave to the thing. It is an accessory, not a primary informational device. xtisme, I agree with you that the technology is in its infancy, but people need to learn how to accommodate the easy accessibility of information in dealing with people, not focusing on the machine. There’s a time and place for email, but people cannot be replaced. These people need to focus on dealing with people, instead of pushing out bits of information that are routinely ignored, ineffective, or otherwise mentally offensive. In business, it’s far less cognitively intensive to have a discussion and understand a task or topic than it is to try to deliver an accurate product by an email tasker. Now go ahead, email me the spreadsheet or the form to fill out. . . but if you want something done, you really ought to communicate your intent with me at least verbally on the phone. [/QUOTE] Sure…that’s part of the infancy aspect. The ‘technology’ is not only the phone, not only the software or the communications, but also how we use it, how we view it, how we shape it (and how it shapes us). And not just from a ‘I can do X’ perspective, but from the social aspect of ‘Can I do X at this time, or will that cause issues?’. Think about the car. In the early days, people just drove wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted, without road signs (or, in many cases, roads), signal lights or really anything else. They drove drunk if that’s what they wanted to do, parked where they wanted, did as they pleased. Eventually, however, norms of use emerged (or were formally set down in regulations or local ordinances). -XT ---
**Author:** ![DemonSpawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@DemonSpawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonSpawn)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/68 "2010-04-14T13:26:29Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > If only we could up the vibrate feature to electric shock! That’d cure 'em! \ “Goddamn electric sexpants!” \ Posted by my cleaning lady. Don’t you have servants to do your every tweeting? ---
**Author:** ![Qwakkeddup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Qwakkeddup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwakkeddup)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/69 "2010-04-14T15:32:29Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > Huh? > > _Sent via two soup cans tied together with string_ They’ve gone wireless too ya’know. ---
**Author:** ![goodie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@goodie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goodie)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/70 "2010-04-14T16:06:56Z")
It’s all about attention. We’re still just monkeys sitting around grooming each other to keep our social network solid. Now I can get your attention, your text, your comment, your link, with a great deal less effort than before. And there are more of you grooming me, and you are farther from me and connected to many other people, my social network is now a world wide web of monkeys picking nits out of my back fur… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/71 "2010-04-14T16:52:19Z")
So, we can use the speech-to-text interface to dictate a text message and send it to a landline via the automated text-to-speech interface that Bell provides… What? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/72 "2010-04-14T17:03:22Z")
> [@goodie](#): > > It’s all about attention. We’re still just monkeys sitting around grooming each other to keep our social network solid. Now I can get your attention, your text, your comment, your link, with a great deal less effort than before. And there are more of you grooming me, and you are farther from me and connected to many other people, my social network is now a world wide web of monkeys picking nits out of my back fur… Are you saying my social network is full of bugs? :: posted via RFC1149-compliant carrier-pigeon link :: ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/73 "2010-04-14T17:12:27Z")
The first time someone pulls out their blackberry or phone while we’re in a social situation is the very last social situation that person will ever find themselves in with me. I have zero tolerance for that kind of behavior and all the people that I care about spending time with know it and seem to be able to survive not fucking with their electronic toys for a few hours. The only exception is if my boyfriend’s young son calls, but he (boyfriend) knows that if any greeting comes out of his mouth other than “hey Tyler” he will be left standing there alone. ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/74 "2010-04-14T18:09:59Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > So, we can use the speech-to-text interface to dictate a text message and send it to a landline via the automated text-to-speech interface that Bell provides… and converted to digital signals and are sent via microwaves and converted back to digital and then to fiber optics and then to digital and then WiFi and then to your device. And then run through a speech generator to tell you the message, because you are texting someone else when the message comes in. I have a Facebook page because my wife suggested I get one. My postings must be one every few months. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to hear mundane little things that I may be doing or thinking about … {looks around} … like this. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![goodie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@goodie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goodie)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/75 "2010-04-14T18:38:18Z")
Good for you, wookinpanub, and btw, love the name, and I say good for anyone else who identifies themselves as the “top monkey” in their lives and doesn’t put up with other groomers popping into any tete-a-tete’s. But, for better or worse, I think that most of us have learned to roll our eyes and fume at the most or sit (showing more politeness than perhaps is due our partner/friend/co-worker/waiter) and wait with a smile at the least, while someone answers an e-mail/text/phone call on our time. I think what this boils down to is the convergence of a new heightened sense of our own worth as people (We think we’re not monkeys anymore.)–Hey! You can’t groom someone else while I’m grooming you!!! I’m a person over here!!!—and this new technology that allows the other person to be groomed, verbally, textually, whatever, AS OFTEN AS THEY WISH IT, by a super-group of monkeys including distant relatives, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, maybe a creepy out of shape 45 year old man pretending to be a high school senior varsity football player… What I’m saying is, is it rude? Yes, we can all see that it is, especially when it’s someone else doing it, according to what we decided was rude before the technology was born. But is it worth fighting, is it stoppable? Not at all. We NEED to get all the attention that we each feel we need, to our own particular wants we’ll all always be true to this, and there will always be that monkey who’s fur is just chock full of fleas ticks and lice. Let’s groom him, shall we? In more ways than on it’s for the greater good, I think. But not while driving. I’m for laws banning that. My kids are on or near those roads and soon they’ll be too busy texting while on their skateboards/bikes/girlfriend to watch out for a distracted driver. ---
**Author:** ![BladeOmega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BladeOmega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BladeOmega)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/76 "2010-04-14T19:04:07Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > Any fool can fill out a form. I really wish that was true. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/77 "2010-04-14T19:19:24Z")
> [@goodie](#): > > What I’m saying is, is it rude? Yes, we can all see that it is, especially when it’s someone else doing it, according to what we decided was rude before the technology was born. Please don’t speak for me. I don’t care in the slightest if someone talks on the phone or texts in my presence. I’m boring. I’d find something better to do, too. ---
**Author:** ![daveg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@daveg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daveg)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/78 "2010-04-14T19:23:43Z")
At work some people will send text messages asking if you’re at your desk so they can call you. Sheesh !! Give a kid a hammer and everything becomes a nail. I’m trying to come up with a similar phrase for texting. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/79 "2010-04-14T20:40:00Z")
> [@goodie](#): > > Good for you, wookinpanub, and btw, love the name…" Why, thank you!I found the rest of your post quite delightful, though I’m not sure if you think I have more fleas, ticks and lice than most monkeys. Also you really must teach your kids not to text whilst they’re on their girlfriend:p > [@](#): > > But not while driving. I’m for laws banning that. My kids are on or near those roads and soon **they’ll be too busy texting while on their skateboards/bikes/girlfriend** to watch out for a distracted driver. Lest you all think I’m some kind of intolerant diva, I really am pretty easy going and tolerant of all kinds of stuff but this is just my personal sticking point and I haven’t had to lay the smack down on that many people because I’m usually drawn to the kind of people that woudln’t exhibit that kind of behavior to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487/80 "2010-04-14T21:05:21Z")
Last weekend I went to a burlesque show in NYC as part of a bachelor party. It seemed that a third of the people there had their noses in some glowing blue screen. Taking pictures, looking at pictures, typing away. Is a woman taking off her clothes not compelling enough for you? I feel like the last person in America who looks forward to those times when I am not connected. 8-10 hours a day is enough. I didn’t go for having the phone on my ear all day in eternal readiness, either. I guess on some level I can understand the appeal of its immediacy, watching your Twitter feed or Facebook page constantly change itself in real time, but I can’t imagine it won’t get boring. Meanwhile, my new hobby is to follow people around who are live-twittering events and note what they are doing on a clay tablet with a pointed stick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberry-syndrome/535487.md?page=5)