AMERSHAM & WYCOMBE COLLEGE LECTURER GIVES THE VERDICT ON ‘SMARTPHONES’

Date: 12/04/2010

Amersham & Wycombe College lecturer and occupational psychologist Amir Khaki, has issued a study into the habits of Blackberry ‘smartphone’ users which has been endorsed by international news outlet CNN.

Amir’s conclusion was that persistent monitoring of your Blackberry or other ‘smartphone’ will increase your stress levels and most likely decrease productivity in the workplace.

Amir studied the BlackBerry habits of a group of executives in middle to senior management who were either high or low frequency users. "High" users would typically switch on their BlackBerry first thing in the morning and keep it on in the evenings and during weekends. "Low" users would generally allocate specific times to check their BlackBerry and to respond to emails.

"People who used them frequently tended to have a distorted perception of just how many times they picked up their phone and equated this to being essential for the job," says Amir.

But this frequent usage didn't translate into efficiency. In one example Amir observed a high frequency user trying to complete a simple spreadsheet. The task, he estimates, should have taken about 20 minutes but ended up taking three times as long because of the number of interruptions due to the BlackBerry.

The knock-on effect of this disruption is the anxiety it creates. "It is more difficult to complete a piece of work you might easily rattle off on a computer screen and the result is increased stress. Some users partners hated the Blackberry. I heard a story of one being flushed down the toilet by the owner’s wife," Amir said. He advises companies whose employees have been issued with a smartphone to at least provide a basic level of training.

"You need to know how to use it properly. After all, we get training when every other technology comes online," Amir said. He suggests companies try to encourage their
employees to set a limit on usage. Of course, there are going to be exceptions -- but on the whole he recommends a maximum of 12 hours use during the working week.
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On a personal level, Amir’s advice is simple: "At the start of any main task, turn it off! Interruptions don't help anyone do anything better, faster or at a higher quality."
He added that research suggests people who respond to emails in batches take much less time doing it and are better at understanding and responding appropriately.

"The thing that causes people the most stress in life is not having control. Use your BlackBerry rationally. If you are on holiday, access it once every two days, explain to someone that you are away and you'll deal with it when you get back."

The link to the CNN feature is; http://www.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/01/22/blackberry.productivity.stress/index.html