In his latest article Rob Long decided to actually write the way that some people like to be ‘told’. I challenge you all to check if you do have a smartphone addiction and a “FOMO”.
Anyway, you are sure to enjoy this latest article by Rob.
Smart Phone Addiction, FOMO and Safety at Work
I went to the movies last night and couldn’t believe that a person in front of me spent half the movie texting and checking their smartphone. Why go to the movies if you aren’t going to watch the movie? The number of people using smartphones on plane flights during landing and take off is also ‘out of control’. As a regular flyer I observe that many people simply ignore the requests of the airline. I had one guy tell me it didn’t matter because the TV show Mythbusters proved it was a nonsense! Since when did we elect that TV entertainment dictated risk and safety management?
A new phenomena of smartphone addiction is sweeping across Australia, people are bumping into street poles, walking into each other and tripping over gutters as they wander distracted, head buries in their smartphone. In Australia there are more than 16 million mobile handsets in use, a 15 per cent increase compared with 2011. Addiction to smart phones is evidenced in the amount of data downloaded in 2012, skyrocketing by a third in just six months (SMH October 10, 2012). Australians use smartphones more than Americans (Aussies Use Smartphones More Than Yanks, LifeHacker Australia, 16 May 2012, http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2012/05/aussies-use-smartphones-more-than-yanks/ ).
How often must you check your smartphone and must you check it compulsively? In the doctor’s surgery, walking the kids to school, in meetings, over dinner and a traffic lights. Anywhere where you might ‘waste a second’ or be ‘bored’. Whatever happened to contemplation and observation without busyiness?
Smartphones can be addictive because they’re psychoactive. That is, they alter mood and often trigger unpredictable feelings. The compulsion is also known by some as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). This drives the constant need to check the smartphone. If you are interested to see if you have a smartphone addiction check out a smartphone addiction assessment eg. http://behaviorhealth.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Cell-Phone-Addict
What are the implications for this growing trend toward smartphone addiction for safety in the workplace? One thing is for sure, distractions, disruptions, interruptions and misdirection have significant implications for workplace safety. Even if a worker is on social media only in breaks this still could mean that when they return to work their mind is not on the job. Some workplaces have now banned the use of smartphones during work hours, but this doesn’t necessarily solve the problem of absent mindedness at the start of the work day. New problems also get created in managing emergencies and privacy. It’s nearly impossible to regulate people’s thinking or pre-work habits.
If smartphone usage poses problem in your workplace then consultation is the place to start. If there is no ownership of the issue then new problems will be created for policing and clandestine use. So, where to start?
1. The first place to start the consultation is to assess and measure the prevalence of smartphone use and determine if it is a problem. A survey and questionnaire, as well as neutral observations of smartphone use should be undertaken.
2. A process of education throughout the organisation should be undertaken if there is a problem. This should include assistance for managers in communicating effectively with those whom they supervise. Any attempt at change needs to be gradual and include ‘buy in’ of all stakeholders.
3. Encourage people to switch their phone off during work. Develop a recognition system to reward people who chose to hand in their phone or lock up their phone during work hours. Connect performance discussions to include smartphone use.
4. Remind people through education campaigns and safety information that smartphone use is dangerous and poor quality communication. Texting and email communications are far more ineffective than face to face discussions.
5. Teach the workforce about FOMO and the importance of prioritisation in time management. A great deal of time is lost in meaningless trivia in social media.
6. Provide smartphone addiction counselling as part of the companies EAP service.
7. Seek a collaborative agreement that all smartphones will be switched off during high risk work. The same could apply for social use of in-house radio systems.
Whatever the approach to try and solve this issue, remember that solutions must be ‘owned’ or there will be no real change.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
OK, so who here is under 30?? Hmmmm?? Thought so. We’re all old farts – baby boomers or Gen X. You would never catch a Gen Y complaining about smart phones, social networking and technology. Face it, people, like them or lump them, they’re here to stay.
Now you’ll have to excuse me, I have to check my emails, update my FB and start another debate on LinkedIn!
What do I know.
Think it was early 1990′s at a restaurant in Brisbane.
Lone bloke on his mobile
I said to the woman I was with, Look at that wanker, these mobile phones will never catch on!
From a risk based perspective, smart phone use whilst driving is a ‘sleeping giant’ that will only get more prevalent.
The article is spot on – ‘new phenomena of smartphone addiction is sweeping across Australia, people are bumping into street poles, walking into each other and tripping over gutters as they wander distracted, head buried in their smartphone.
This becomes a greater issue to the general public and other drivers when a driver is distracted by using their smartphone when essentially they are in control of a 2 tonne metal weapon whilst driving a vehicle.
I drive to work, approximately one and a quarter hours each way and the number of people I see on their mobile phones is staggering.One can only assume that injury statistics involving smartphone use will continue to rise significantly.
I must admit that I am impressed with what smart phones can do … they are mini computers now – BUT they do have their draw backs. I may be a dinosaur but I remember when my days off were just that – “DAYS OFF” and when I arrived home it was family time. It has become the expectation, with the advent of the smart phones and the myriad of applications available, that your office travels with you and that you are available 24/7 (another new term which has creapt into our venacular). It is no wonder that we are becoming a nation of mentally exhausted individuals. We find it hard to get any “Me Time”. How many times have you been in a restaurant and witnessed business calls being taken by either partner when at a family event? How many of you have had calls from colleagues after hours at home? You can now access your work emails at any time … if set up correctly – instantaniously. I was once asked why I hadn’t done a particular task; the email re the task came through at 6:30pm on a Friday and I was asked the question at 9:00am on a Monday morning. With the advent of instant communication there seems to be an expectation of instant action.
Human beings need some relaxation and individuals need “Me Time”. Go and play with the kids, take your significant other out somewhere nice and leave the phone at home. Message bank will take the calls. You may not realise it but life is very short and the personal / family things you put off today, may be the things that you never get to do. I was once told by a clinical psychologist that life was like a number of baskets. Each basket contained a part of your life and together they make up 100% of your committment e.g. Family; Work; Yourself; Others; Volunteering; Relationships; etc. If one basket becomes too full then the other baskets are depleted ….. surprisingly the Yourself basket and the Family basket are often depleted and the work basket is full to overflowing. As with Smart Phones we have to get the balance right and as with all tasks which we want to do well – it takes practice ….Take a break smell the roses or the coffee …it feels good!!
I believe social media is a key driver of smartphone behaviour/use. Status and tweets fuel FOMO.
It is not that scial media is evil, far from it. But social media is just like everything else in the world, you have got to know when to stop consuming, or it can be dangerous.
Another thing that proves how out of contact with modern technology I am is to do with Apps
I see people wanting Apps for training needs analysis, audits, inspections, safety management systems, job safety analysis.
I am sillly enough to think these things must be made to purpose and a generic product is not appropriate regardless of how smarrt the technology is
I have a mobile phone,I know it is an old fashioned concept but I use it so people can talk to me and I can talk to them!
In my ignorance I am comfortable I have never sent a text message and discourage others from texting me
My phone can receive e-mails, a feature I never use, my life does not revolve around e-mails
Some people get far too carried away about use of their phone, it can take over your life not be an aid to it