The symptoms of this addiction may dramatically affect an addict’s well-being. 5 First, social quality of life may be compromised as people may complain about one’s preoccupation with mobile email. Some users may react negatively when others interrupt their email tasks but later feel ashamed about their overuse of mobile email. Some prefer working with their mobile email rather than interacting with family and friends, even in intimate situations. Second, the addicts’ family relationships may be affected when they neglect family and home duties. Third, mobile email can become a “mental safe haven” for escaping from daily realities. Individuals may keep themselves busy with mobile email to avoid doing other more mundane tasks.

Perspectives

There are two conflicting points of view on the addictive nature of contemporary technologies. The proponents of this so-called addiction suggest that some users could demonstrate problematic usage behaviors that may be considered pathological and require treatment—hence technology addiction is a psychiatric disorder that merits research, legislation, and formalization. Over the past decade, a number of terms, such as Internet addiction disorder, computer addiction, technology addiction, virtual society addiction, pathological use, and problematic use were coined. 11 In support of this argument, it has been shown that technology addiction goes beyond the notion of mere overuse4 or high engagement. 3 It has also been demonstrated that these problematic usage behaviors may lead to a range of negative consequences including depression, mood alteration, loneliness, isolation, and reduced impulse control; many experience work, family, social, interpersonal, health, and financial problems.

The opponents of the technology
addiction concept argue that the afore-
mentioned claims are unwarranted,
that problematic use of technology ex-
ists only in very narrow contexts, such
as gambling and emailing, and that
technology overuse is a result of other
preexisting mental disorders (such as
reduced impulse control). 10 As it stands,
this is the prevalent medical view in
North America. It is argued that the bor-
der between technology addiction and
other mental issues is blurred because
86% of identified Internet addiction
cases have some other mental disorders
present. 2 As a result, the current version
of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), which
includes the formal list of mental dis-
orders that is used by American psy-
chologists and psychiatrists, does not
recognize any types of technology addic-
tions. Despite being lobbied by doctors,
academics, and research centers, the
American Medical Association chose
not to consider video game addiction
and Internet addiction serious medical
disorders. 7 First, many believe the term
addiction may be used with respect to
chemical substances only. Second, an
established definition, set of symptoms,
and diagnosis criteria are missing. For
example, the description of the Internet
addiction disorder was based on patho-
logical gambling documented in DSM,
and critics say most of the technology
overuse criteria may be found under the
existing DSM categories, such as obses-
sion, compulsion, impulse control, de-
pression, or anxiety. Thus, it is unlikely
that such addictions will appear in
DSM-V that is tentatively scheduled for
publication in 2012.

effects

From a Communications reader perspective, however, the mobile email (so-called) addiction phenomenon deserves special attention, because it may have negative consequences for users, their families, and their organizations. Moreover, mobile email addiction is distinct from most other types of technology addictions. For example, Inter-

the ubiquitous
nature of mobile
email technologies
can facilitate and
augment excessive
email preoccupation.

net or video game addicts have made a personal decision to repeatedly engage in a potentially dangerous pathological behavior. In contrast, it is an organization that in most cases provides mobile email technology, pays for it, and requires its usage even beyond regular business hours. Therefore, the behavior in question in organizational settings can be facilitated and encouraged by an authoritative third party rather than by the users. As a result, addicts may hold organizations legally responsible, and companies may face potential liability issues. 9 For a court to recognize damages resulting from an excessive use of mobile email, five categories must be established:

˲ ˲ Duty—whether an organization owes a duty to a person who became addicted. On the one hand, the addiction may be self-inflicted when the individual voluntarily engaged in technology overuse. On the other hand, the addict may argue that the organization owed the addict a duty to prevent the addictive nature that was facilitated, required, and encouraged by the organization. The standard of duty the organization owes the employees must also be determined.

˲ ˲ Breach of Duty—whether an organization deviates from the standard of care that a responsible employer would follow. For example, if the usage of mobile email beyond regular working hours has become an irrevocable part of organizational culture, the employer had encouraged this practice, and did nothing to prevent potential addiction; a reasonable argument can be made in the courtroom.

˲ ˲ Proximate Cause—whether mobile email addiction and its symptoms resulted from system overuse for work-related purposes. In other words, a clear causal link between mobile email usage and negative consequences must be established.

˲ ˲ Actual Cause—the employee must establish that but for the organization requiring the use of mobile email, the employee would not be addicted.

˲ ˲ Damages—whether the mobile email addict suffered from substantial physical or psychological damages. For instance, an employee may claim that his or her addiction behavior caused serious marital problems such as divorce. In fact, it is the family members