What are we going to do with the exploding number of addicts who cannot put down their BlackBerries? Beyond their rude behaviorhow many of you have tried having a dinner conversation with someone while they keep peeking furtively into their lap to catch the latest incoming message?there is a repetitive stress factor at work here that could impact workers' comp insurers and risk managers.
Kids are getting hooked at an early age, with everyone text messaging their way through class or while walking in the street. (The only behavior more annoying than nearly being run over by someone with their head down while reading their e-mail is passing people who appear to be talking to themselvesloudlyuntil you spot their Bluetooth earpiece, making them look as if theyve been assimilated by the Borg of Star Trek!)
Sooner or later, workers comp claims are bound to hit. There are even names for the various conditions brought on by excessive usesuch as BlackBerry Thumb or, even catchier, Trigger Finger (referring to difficulty in flexing an overtaxed digit, prompted by inflammation and swelling of the tendons). The symptoms include pain, loss of flexibility and grip weakness. The treatment can run from simple rest to splints, drugs and even surgery in the worst cases.
You can imagine millions of such claims coming down the pipeline as the text-messaging kids of today get their obligatory graduation BlackBerries and go off to work, putting in years of determined thumb punching to keep up.
As these workers age, their tendons will wear out earlier and earlier in life, and arthritis will set in–eventually crippling them. Workers comp insurers will find themselves on the hook for medicine, physical therapy, surgery and lots of lost-time claims.
The best loss control solution, of course, is to simply cut back on the use of such deviceseasier said than done, as any CrackBerry addict could testify. (Indeed, a friend insists her spouse would take his BlackBerry into the shower with him if they would only make it waterproof!)
Or, you could follow my lead and just get along without one!
But even those willing to go cold turkey to break their terrible habit face incredible pressure to be 24/7, believing they must stay in touch at all timeseven during traditional downtime. Late-night checks for a key e-mail are a given. Weekends are no longer an oasis from work. Plane flights are now merely opportunities to spend hours on your laptop, catching up.
Many feel compelled to log on for a quick fix while supposedly on vacation, apologizing profusely if they are off-line for more than a few hours. Ive even caught a friend sneaking a peek while at the ballpark!
For their own good, people should unplug more often. For the industrys good, workers comp insurers should urge employers to make them do so, before its too late and they are buried in claims.
Do you have any war stories to share on the subject, or advice on how to get addicts to quit their habit? Feel free to comment below.
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