Sam Galet owns a BlackBerry, two laptops, two MP3 players and is an avid user of Facebook. He sometimes finds himself simultaneously monitoring work e-mail, watching a movie on his iPod, and rocking his baby to sleep.
He’s “hyperconnected” — a newly emerging term that’s used to describe a person who is constantly connected to the Internet. This blurring of the line between work and life is prevalent among men under the age of 35.
“My 16-month-old walks around with my BlackBerry, typing into it,” says Galet, a 34-year-old sales exec for IMG, a global sports and entertainment company. “When that happens, you know you’re doing something wrong.”
Another hint? He has arthritis in his thumbs, and must regularly massage them to reduce the pain he feels from constant typing.
But to Galet the pain is only a minor irritation when compared to the payoff.
“Technology facilitates being in touch with more people,” he says, adding that constant connectivity allows him to do business faster and better. His clients expect immediate response.
Galet is not alone.
In an IDC marketing research survey, 60 per cent of hyperconnected people reported they use technology in the car, 50 per cent use their devices while on vacation, 45 per cent use them in bed and 20 per cent use them in a place of worship.
