Australian study reveals astounding findings

Trouble maker. Gadfly. Money pit. Disturber. Bugger. There are many terms for mobile phones and just as many reproaches behind them. Up to now also academic research has acted on the assumption that the mobile not only creates blessing and security but makes e.g. work intrude into leisure time and family and by doing this, severely disturbs the balance between work and private life.

Connection to home

The exact opposite seems to be the case if a recent Australian study is to be believed. It points out that mobile phones are predominantly used to stay in touch with the immediate family, not to deal with business after quitting time.

Men talk more „officially“

Nearly half (48%) of the 1.358 respondents use their mobile phones predominantly to contact family, 26 per cent to contact friends. Job-related calls are far less important (16%). There turns out a striking difference between women and men: More than one third of all interviewed men (38%) use their mobile to do job- or study-related calls, but only 11% of all interviewed women. Furthermore, women are more hesitant in taking their mobiles on vacation to talk to co-workers. Among the different occupation groups, predominantly managers tend to keep themselves up-to-date about current business at home via mobile phone.

Creating Balance

Only three per cent of all respondents advance the opinion that the mobile phone influences the balance between work and private life in a negative way. 43 per cent don’t feel any influence at all, neither a positive nor a negative one. More than half of the respondents even believe that the mobile phone helps them to find a balance between family and work life.

Just an unconscious adaption?

The ability to be reached at any place and any time – this pressure doesn’t seem to impress the Australians any more. Or have they meanwhile unconsciously adapted to the changes and regard the blurring of private life and profession more as balance than as intrusion? Can the study’s results be also applied to Germany? Does the habituation to the permanent availability, slowly creeping in, change our perception? Two years ago in Great Britain still 41 per cent of the employees felt pressured by their company mobile phone.

Probably it depends on the job and most of all, on every single person. I, personally, feel more reassured than supervised with my mobile in the bag. The option of turning it off to have some piece and quiet is always given, no matter if a caller later on nags about it.