Mobile phones we love to hate
The mobile telephone has moved from being a novelty to a potentially
damaging and invasive technology that blurs the boundaries between work and
the home lives of users, a University of South Australia study shows.
Research into the social effects of mobile phones reveals that, while people’s attitudes to the technology are overwhelmingly positive for professional use, it causes tension because of an increased expectation of immediate access after hours, which intrudes on people’s private lives.
There is a lot of unnecessary contact because mobile technology allows it, whereas in the past people would have waited, according to researcher Collette Snowden, a public relations lecturer at UniSA’s School of Communication, Information and New Media. Snowden is the inaugural Donald Dyer research scholarship winner, a scholarship established following a generous bequest by Mrs Sylvia Dyer that recognises the pioneering work of her late husband in establishing the Public Relations Institute of Australia in South Australia.
While Snowden’s research focused on media professionals because their employment requires them to use mobile phones, she says the social effects of mobile communications are becoming more widespread throughout the professions, especially in service industries.
Snowden’s research is backed up by UniSA PhD student in psychology, Dr Peter Winwood, who is investigating non-work time behaviour recovery.
“Physical jobs have shrunk over the past decades and in the majority of work environments, employees face increases in mental and emotional demand, when compared with physical strain. The brain does not recover in the same way that muscles do after physical exertion,” Dr Winwood said.
“If workers are still accessible after five o’clock, when does their working day finish? Mobile phone calls after hours represent a continuation of work because the brain has to be constantly activated and on alert. This is especially true for self employed people. If work calls keep them in work mode till 10 pm, and they only begin to recover after that time as they go to bed, when are they living?
“If the brain has insufficient time to recover from the stresses of the working day, it can lead to burnout and significant health issues,” Dr Winwood said.
Adding to these concerns are very strong opinions about electromagnetic radiation, according to Snowden. “Participants in the study believe that there is a high potential for long-term effects and haven’t been reassured by any of the industry reports on radiation.
“When spending a lot of time on the phone, some recognised effects such as hot ears and phone heating while in use, and worried about future health implications. They related it to both smoking and asbestos, with one commenting that it’s a ‘sleeper’,” Snowden said.
“Despite these concerns, it hasn’t affected their rate of use. They still use mobile phones, rather than wait for a landline. It’s the convenience factor. Not having a mobile phone is not seen as an option,” she said.
But for some participants, reports of adverse health effects have influenced the way in which they use mobile phones, with some adopting a policy of keeping their calls short and wherever possible, using a fixed line.
Another unexpected and surprising result of the research seen as negative by many of the participants is the loss of face to face contact, making their role more sequestered. There is an expectation that they can save time and money using mobile technology but they feel cut off from the public.
Snowden disputes statements by many of the study participants that they can manage their use of mobile phones and are not affected by them, unlike everyone else.
“The critical mass of mobile penetration means that it affects everyone’s behaviour and expectations, even in people who don’t have a mobile phone because other people expect them to have one,” Snowden said.
For those who believe that a glass of wine and passively watching television is the solution to a mentally draining day of endless mobile calls, Dr Winwood says that’s not the answer.
“If your brain is in a highly activated state after work, pursuing personally rewarding hobbies, creative and social activities, helps your system to produce naturally calming hormones that ‘turn off’ the stress activation state and promote recovery from stress in a way that ‘veging out’ in front of the TV never will. Better sleep is often an important side effect that aids recovery even more. Add to this some physical exercise, and vital recovery between shifts is far more likely. Over time, this could make the difference between whether a career is maintained or severe and disabling burnout is your fate.”