Are you too wired? New York may say so!
UPDATE: CNET reports "A New York state senator has announced his plan to introduce legislation that would ban the use of electronic devices such as iPods, BlackBerrys and cell phones while crossing streets in major cities."
September 1, 2006: I noted in “Cellphones vs. Sex: the latest dilemma” that being always-on is not always a good thing, especially when it comes to your sex life!
Atlanta residents apparently are the most at risk, Forbes crowns the city America’s “most wired”:
Home to telecommunications and Internet service providers BellSouth and EarthLink, as well as Cox Communications, the third-largest U.S. cable company, Atlanta beat several cities more closely associated with the Web, like San Francisco, Seattle and New York.
How did Forbes pin-point Atlanta for always-on honors?
Rankings factored in the percentage of Internet users with high-speed access, the range of service providers within a city and the availability of public wireless hot spots. Of the 30 cities we measured, Atlanta ranks highest in broadband access options, third in Wi-Fi access points and ninth in broadband adoption: In June, more than 80% of the city's home Internet users accessed the Web via a high-speed connection.
How about you? Are you highly wired? Maybe it is time you turned off the always-on connection for a while. Here are eight sure signs you need to unplug (just in time for a little Labor Day weekend relaxation!):
YOU PUT A BLUETOOTH HEADSET IN YOUR MOTORCYCLE HELMET
Now motorcyclists too can benefit from wireless handsfree communication… opening a whole new realm for cellular use.
YOUR CELLPHONE IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT BATHROOM ACCESSORY
Nationwide online survey of 2,119 adults - 86 percent of who have cellphones - found that 38 percent believe it acceptable to use a cellphone in the bathroom.
YOU PREFER YOUR CELLPHONE OVER TOM CRUISE
National Association of Theater Owners ‘have to block rude behavior’ to encourage customers to come back who have stayed home to avoid the aggravation of mobile distractions.
YOU BELIEVE YOUR RIGHT TO A CELLPHONE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL
Cell phones and pagers are not allowed in the courtrooms or in the jury room during deliberations. All cell phones and pagers will be required to be checked with the jury bailiffs or the Court Administrator’s office.
YOU BELIEVE YOUR RIGHT TO YAK IN PUBLIC IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PUBLIC SAFETY
Even using a cell phone in the bank's lobby may result in the person being asked to leave the premises...there have been holdups in which bandits were on the phone with lookouts outside while committing bank robberies.
YOU LIVEBLOGG A HOSPITAL PROCEDURE
I’m going to be liveblogging during the birth of our second child… This is just a post to get started. We leave for the hospital soon.
YOU SUFFER FROM A WORK-INDUCED TECH ADDICTION
With potential litigation in the air, will employers start screening workers before provisioning handhelds and laptops to determine if they are workaholics and a legal risk?
YOU INTERRUPT SEX TO ANSWER YOUR CELLPHONE
As a society we will continue to grapple with the question: Which takes precedence: an incoming cellphone call, or live action activity?
WHAT OTHER SURE SIGNS THAT IT MAY BE TIME TO TURN-OFF THE ALWAYS-ON BUTTON?