Blackberry: boon or bane?

To live in New York City is to have a Blackberry.

It's a status symbol, and not even in that you've 'made it,' be you a corporate bigwig or the next Vogue accessories director.

Never mind that you're saving the world one i-banking transaction at a time, or just trying to make rent at your marketing job by day and bartending gig by night. Never mind that you're some 20-year-old fashion intern, whose most notable Blackberry usage comes through BBMing (read: Blackberry Messaging) ex-boyfriends at 4 in the morning (you know who you are ;) ).

I'm talking about sheer, local status.
The same one that makes New Yorkers send out their laundry to be washed and folded, have a favorite Chinese takeout place on speed dial, loathe and avoid Times Square like the plague, and know the subway lines so inherently, you'd think it were specially coded into their DNA (something like: ACE123L456NQRW).

Compulsive Blackberry checking is as prolific in New York as sliced bread (actually, here it would be the sliced bagel. Toasted, with schmear.)

And like sliced bread, the Blackberry has ruined our society forever.



Once upon a time, we did without them. We would buy our loaves, and slice our bread ourselves. We would check our e-mail on our computers, for goodness sakes.

Oh, the good old days. Now that there are machines to do it for us, we cannot settle without.

I would be interested to see how many New Yorkers even own a cuttingboard. Let alone a serrated knife. For as advanced and cutting-edge (no pun intended) as the New Yorker's life is, it's ironic how rarely they use something as universal, as seemingly-necessary, as primeval even, as their own kitchen. Assuming they even have one.

When I was organizing my things to move here, I didn't put much thought into my little LG camera phone that has served me so well the past 2 years. I had just gone without a cell phone for 3+ months abroad, and so happy I was to be 'connected' again I didn't think it would be an issue that I wouldn't be able to check CNN.com, confirm dinner plans, and respond to that e-mail from Dubai while waiting in line at Dean and Deluca.


How naive and utterly 20th century I feel, discreetly punching away text messages using the "Word" function.

Never has using modern technology been so wracked with shame.

New York neurosis has struck again... and I feel left out.