Phil Goldsmith has held senior positions in a broad spectrum of fields including law, journalism, business and government. Most recently he was managing director of the City of Philadelphia.
He is now a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, writing every other Wednesday and is a principal in GoldsmithKahn Associates, a public issues management consulting firm.
In my recent Daily News column I write about my New Year's resolution to kick my Blackberry habit. But one of the problems with writing a column is that it can only be so long. So I didn't have space to mention that when I was in the Street Administration our primary means of communication was the Blackberry. It was not unusual for virtually everyone to be reading their emails at cabinet meetings while someone was making a presentation. I suggested that we not use our blackberries at the meeting except for an email break every 30 minutes or so.
My suggestion lasted less than a meeting when the Mayor caught me holding my BlackBerry on my lap reading some emails. I felt like a school boy who was caught pulling the pony tail of the girl sitting in front of me.
I am also reminded of someone who I once worked with whose identity I will shield. She would drive her car with a cell phone in one hand and a curling iron in the other. She used her knee to turn the steering wheel. Fortunately, this was before the invention of the BlackBerry. I have no idea where she would have held that.
In my column I referred to my Blackberry usuage as an addiction. Judging from some emails I received I am not alone in that belief.Here is the response from one reader:
"I read your column with interest. I was amazed that you have had about three units either stolen or broken. I can't get rid of the one I have...though, God knows, I've tried. I am beyond addicted (used at funerals, religious services, etc.) and in need of an intervention. Which psychiatrist did you meet with? Perhaps he/she might be willing to help me."
And a friend, a recovery addict from Iowa, responded:
Phil you might try a 12 step program to help you deal with life after BlackBerry. I did a goggle search of BA and came up with some interesting things but no BlackBerry anonymous groups. However I did come across other BA sites that were interesting. There were 231,000,000 hits and I have only gotten through 1/2 of them so far hmmmm I wonder if there is a problem here I need to address. perhaps there is a resolution in the works.
Keep up the good work Phil when you reach 3 months without BlackBurry I will send you a 90 day chip."
Another interesting article about the BlackBerry epidemic appeared in the December 8th edition of the Wall Street Journal, entitled, BlackBerry orphans. "The growing use of email gadgets is spawning a generation of resentful children," the article started. It then proceeded to tell how children were trying to get their parents to stop using the device so they could borrow some of their folks' attention
