Curse Of Smsing

[csmart 472]

I am starting this topic to discuss the adverse effects of SMS/BBM.

While going through the article on BBC, about how Volkswagen switches off BB server for its employees after work hours. It is not applicable for top management though. The article states that its affecting personal life and also overall efficiency of the employees. Now this is the main reason why I started this topic.

Here I want to discuss whether it is really true or just an hype created by co to attract manpower. Whatever may be the case. But I have seen people who are stuck to their cell phone whether BB or any other 24x7. There are 3 categories, one by compulsion ie top management (including businessmen/self-employed) and working class, second one is status and third GenX.

The businessmen and working class do it by compulsion and to some extent to feed their ego. They are always connected to the office in one or the other way.

There also people who want to show off that how busy they are and always talking or doing something on the phone. These people get immense pleasure in showing how busy they are. They also try to make others feel inferior.

GenX, teenagers are the worse. With BBM or Whatsapp or SMS, they cant get rid off phone. even they discuss everything in via text. For them voice is very uncool.

each of them are now suffering from one or the other problem. businessmen loose their cool even before their SMS reaches the other side. The second category failed to connect and GenX simply lost their command over language and can't even write in simple English without using SMS lingo. They do not realise the long term hazards. The days are not far when people will start suffering from disease like "Finger cancer". Few years back, on Discovery channel had shown that egg was boiled when kepy between 2 cell phones for 45 minutes. Recently, a man was operated for cyst due to SMSing too much. I have seen teenagers, tecting while driving. They will wait for their car to stop at signal and start SMSing. They will chat with any dam person with whom otherwise they will rarely talk. Its good socialising but not good for health. This is increasing stress on all of them.

I want to say we should encourage people to reduce the use and look at other ways to communicate and reduce stress.

I have pasted the article below. If you read the article and the comments on the site, most agree that it has become nuisance than a facilitator.

Source: BBC

Volkswagen turns off Blackberry email after work hours

Volkswagen has agreed to stop its Blackberry servers sending emails to some of its employees when they are off-shift.

The carmaker confirmed it made the move earlier this year following complaints that staff's work and home lives were becoming blurred.

The restriction covers employees in Germany working under trade union negotiated contracts.

Campaigners warned that the move would not be suitable for all companies.

A spokesman for VW said: "We confirm that this agreement between VW and the company's work council exists", but would not comment further.

Under the arrangement servers stop routing emails 30 minutes after the end of employees' shifts, and then start again 30 minutes before they return to work.

The staff can still use their devices to make calls and the rule does not apply to senior management.

"We wanted to take a preventative approach to tackling the issue," said Gunnar Killian, VW's works council spokesman.

"At Volkswagen flexitime is between 0730-1745, with our new arrangement workers can only receive emails between 0700 and 1815."

Spare time

The move follows criticism of internal emails by Thierry Breton, chief executive of the French information technology services giant, Atos. He said workers at his firm were wasting hours of their lives on internal messages both at home and at work. He has taken the more radical step of banning internal email altogether from 2014.

Last month the maker of Persil washing powder, Henkel, also declared an email "amnesty" for its workers between Christmas and New Year saying messages should only be sent out as an emergency measure.

Industry watchers say the moves reflect growing awareness of a problem.

"It's bad for the individual worker's performance being online and available 24-7. You do need downtime, you do need periods in which you can actually reflect on something without needing instantaneously to give a reaction," said Will Hutton, chair of the Big Innovation Centre at The Work Foundation.

"Secondly it has a poor impact on an individual's well-being. I think that one has to patrol quite carefully the borderline between work and non-work.

"So I can see why some firms are taking this action, the problem is that a universal response is impossible... but certainly we should have the capacity to be opted out of it rather than be opted in."

Consultations

Union officials in the UK have also cautioned other firms against repeating Volkswagen's move without consultation.

"The issue of employees using Blackberrys, computers and other devices out of working time is a growing one that needs to be addressed as it can be a source of stress," Trades Union Congress (TUC) secretary general Brendan Barber told the BBC.

"However other organisations will need different solutions and what works in VW may not work elsewhere.

"By working in partnership with their union, Volkswagen's policy will have the support of all their employees. Where employers simply introduce policies on their own, however well-meaning they may be, they are unlikely to be successful."

MODS: if you/anyone feel this is irrelevant, then you may close it.

[commonman 228]

there has been several road accidents when the person was busy sms-ing.

[vishalmcp 8]

a good one Chirag.... i absulotely agree with you... teenagers have gone crazy with this mobile revolution & telecom operators with free sms's have made the problem even more worst......