iPods, BlackBerrys, Kindles, plain old cell phones, laptops, you name it - we're inundated with technology 24/7. While looking for something on the Web recently, I ran across a news release (Posted on ZDNet News: Jun 8, 2006) about the Blackberry Hotel, better known as the Chicago Sheraton.
Rick Ueno, general manager of the Sheraton Chicago Hotel, said the program which began on Wednesday grew out of his own personal BlackBerry addiction. His one-step recovery was switching to a regular cell phone.
"I was really addicted to my BlackBerry. I had an obsession with e-mail," he told Reuters. "Morning and night. There came a time when I didn't think it was healthy ... I quit cold turkey."
He believes guests might want to try the same thing for a day or two anyway, so they can concentrate on meetings, business and socializing while at the hotel. Ueno said he would take personal charge of any BlackBerrys or related devices guests want to surrender and place them in his office - locked up until their return is requested. There is no charge.
"I run a hotel with over 900 employees and thousands of guests. I think I'm more effective. I feel better. I sleep better. My family likes it," he said of his post-BlackBerry life.
The popular handheld devices (sometimes called "CrackBerrys" because users become so reliant on them), are made by Canadian-based Research In Motion.
My question to you is this: Would you go into withdrawal if you gave up technology for 24 hours? Stay tuned for further information about the long term effects of being plugged in every waking moment.
In my Workshop in a Box, Just Another Day At The Office, I talk further on understanding the generational preferences regarding the use of technology and various communication methods.
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