In the Wall Street Journal’s December 8, 2006 article “Blackberry Orphans,” Katherine Rosman discusses the role reversal that takes place in many families: Instead of parents making sure that the kids don’t spend so much time in front of the TV, the kids are worried because their parents secretly check e-mails when they should be taking care of them. The article also features kids who report that their parents read and answer e-mails in the car instead of paying attention to the road. The children are relatively powerless, especially when they understand that the parents have to work to earn money. But not everyone puts up with the ever-decreasing attention spans:
When nothing else works, Lucas turns to the highest of authorities. “I go tell my mom that Daddy’s not listening and then my mom yells at him.”
The article also provides tips for email addicts, such as not checking emails while eating, not using the Blackberry while driving, and having Blackberry-free zones and times at home (of course, these rules aren’t limited to Blackberry devices alone). On the other hand, a Blackberry defender is quoted as saying that children should ask themselves whether it is better to have their parents away from home only 20 percent or 100 percent.
After this sentence, I decided not to buy a Blackberry or similar.