Smartphones are an integral part of any business owner’s work and many employees as it allows them to contact customers, colleagues, or suppliers quickly, control work processes, and solve problems. However, there is also the idea that the use of a smartphone blurs the line between work and personal life since a person constantly receives information to which he or she needs to respond. In addition, modern technologies force people to work at a faster pace because modern society almost forgot how to wait. Consequently, although a smartphone saves time for solving work problems, the new speed that it sets harms the work-life balance of the business of people and employees.
Smartphones are a convenient tool for receiving and sending information, and often for work and planning. Their advantage is that one little technology contains all the necessary functions for collecting and processing data and quick response, as well as the fact that this process often takes seconds. For example, a popular business is selling goods or services through social networks, such as Instagram or Facebook (Arnold, 2018). Therefore, an entrepreneur often needs to spend only a few minutes responding to a buyer’s request and accepting an order. This feature also applies to large-scale companies, since a manager also needs a couple of messages or phone calls to respond to the problems of employees or to appoint a person responsible for specific tasks. For this reason, modern entrepreneurs and buyers are got used to the fact that their problems are resolved in a short period, and if the company does not respond for a long time to the client’s request, this can be the reason for his or her dissatisfaction.
This feature is also harmful to employees and entrepreneurs as it blurs the line between work and personal life. Entrepreneurs or employees have to continue performing their duties after working hours, or vice versa, to respond to the requests and problems of their families during the working day. They are constantly distracted and concerned about work problems that interfere with dedicating their time to family, friends, or their own physical and mental rest. In addition, as Ji-Eun, Kim, and Myeong-Ryoon (2018) noted, frequent and high levels of using a smartphone for work reduces job satisfaction and negatively affects the emotional intelligence of employees. This feature also translates into the fact that the employee tries to complete work tasks quickly to relax, so they perform them poorly. In addition, Gombert, Konze Rivkin, and Schmidt (2018) claim that using a smartphone after working hours reduces the level of self-control the next day; therefore, this condition affects the performance of tasks and decision-making. Thus, a violation of the work-life balance due to the use of a smartphone negatively affects both the personal life of employees and their ability to perform work duties.
In conclusion, the use of smartphonehurtson the work-life balance as employees are forced to respond to messages or calls after the end of the working day. Constant distraction for solving work problems interferes with resting, spending time with family or friends, and increases emotional fatigue. This anxiety, in turn, affects the quality of the employee’s performance. Therefore, although smartphones have many benefits, people should limit their use to maintain a work-life balance and remain productive.
References
- Arnold, A. (2018). Are we entering the era of social shopping? Forbes. Web.
- Gombert, L., Konze, A.-K., Rivkin, W., & Schmidt, K.-H. (2018). Protect your sleep when work is calling: How work-related smartphone use during non-work time and sleep quality impact next-day self-control processes at work. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(8), 1757-1771.
- Ji-Eun, J., Kim, S.-W., & Myeong-Ryoon, O. (2018). The impact of after hour work-related smartphone uses on emotional labor. Medico-Legal Update, 18(1), 242–247.