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Device Melange

A laptop in the marital bed is supposedly the third in an unhappy ménage à trois. Worse offenders are Blackberries and Treos because they can be slipped under the covers and be really intrusive. When both partners are guilty of being teethered to their devices and decide to bring one each to bed we have a ménage à quatre - a rather formidable mélange.

Each can be jealous of the other's device but not be willing to give up their own, thus make intimacy four times as difficult to achieve. A situation involving his device (a Blackberry), her device (an iPod) and their device (the TV in the bedroom) is fraught with even more complication - it is tantamount to putting the relationship on autopilot to be able to check e-mail, watch a podcast and maybe a movie.

Like any other kind of addiction, an electronic device addiction is bound to be a strain on the relationship. Maybe in time there will be a Crackberries Anonymous for people who need help getting decoupled from their Bluetooth headsets and re-coupled with their spouses.

Comments

ggop said…
Never used a Blackberry, but how hard can it be to switch it to a silent profile after you tuck yourself in?

People suffer from illusions that they are indispensable to the company and need to be "connected" all the time. Time and time again, corporate America busts that myth.

gg
Heartcrossings said…
gg - How true about the myth of indispensibility ! I think it may also have to do with fear of being viewed as less committed than the next guy.
ggop said…
I agree with your reason too.
Anonymous said…
I knew I had a serious problem when I emailed a customer very, very late at night and he replied asking me to go to sleep...

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