The Thumbs Have It (or Some Unexpected Hazards of BlackBerry Use)

Previously, if you asked me about the greatest addition in thumbs, I would accept accustomed the arbiter answer: "opposable thumbs acquiesce us to butt tools." Or, I ability accept anticipation wistfully of the time if "thumbing it" wasn't an allurement to accommodated consecutive killers. And conceivably I'd admiration what Siskel and Ebert would accept done if not for their thumbs? Yet, while I adore those a part of us adored with blooming thumbs, I never anticipation I'd see the day if getting "all thumbs" is a compliment. But, we are fast acceptable a thumb-centric society. Thanks to corpuscle phones, BlackBerry's and Gameboys, our accouchement are now advancing out of the abyss avaricious the apple by their thumbs. It's no admiration that their aboriginal words are no best "Mama" or "Dada", but "Mario" and "DonkeyKong;" and that their aboriginal blimp animals appear with a userid, password, and an allurement to http://www.webkinz.com. "Toto, I don't anticipate we're in Kansas anymore. Now go get me some Webkinz money so I can appointment the W shop."Doorbells What aftereffect is this accepting on the already absurd apple we reside in? Last year a London abstraction begin that Generation Y rings doorbells with their thumbs. I didn't accept this as alone I'm fractional to my basis finger, and anticipation I should do my own research. I nixed my antecedent plan to chase some of my 20-something neighbors around. (I lived in the city-limits at the time, area it's about a faux pas to airing down the artery and not be on your BlackBerry or Blue Tooth.) But I was afraid that I'd be labeled as the adjacency awful lady. Instead I surveyed a few of my adolescent colleagues, by email of course. Their answer? "Ring doorbells? Why do that? Wouldn't you just argument them to say you're out front?" Once again, the thumbs accept it. (Note to self: Do not advance money in any aggregation that online writing doorbells.) However, there is even added fallout from all this mind-numbing thumb-centricity. The newly-identified malady: "BlackBerry Thumb." No, it's not what Little Jack Horner got if he ashore his deride in that pie. It's in fact tendonitis or affliction of basal arthritis by the repetitive motion appropriate by BlackBerry use. Fortunately, if you reside in NYC (where else?), they accept spas that now action specific therapies for BlackBerry Thumb, Corpuscle Phone Acne and Tech Neck, the latest technology-related injuries. Yet, abscessed thumbs aren't the alone BlackBerry backlash. Recent online writing in the Wall Artery Journal and on Forbes.com accept labeled our accouchement "BlackBerry Orphans" and even asked the catechism "Is Your BlackBerry Ruining Your Sex Life?" I'll accept albatross for abacus to somewhat useless, admitting amusing, blog fodder as the columnist of the latter. Still, I do acknowledge that my analysis for that commodity delayed my own acquirement of a BlackBerry for a few months. But now I'm BlackBerrying with the best of them, and if my adolescent wants my attention, he can stop whining and argument me. As for the aftereffect on my amusing life, I do acquisition that with everyone's impossibly active schedules, PDA's - Personal Digital Assistants - play a far beyond role in my activity than PDA's - Public Displays of Affection. So, really, how can my BlackBerry ruin what doesn't abide in the aboriginal place? In the meantime, anyone wish to thumbwrestle?