I heard something about this on NPR this morning, but it was pretty useless.

Adam Shostack, however, has a much more useful and link-o-rific post, “Mobile Phones, Modernity, and Stress”, which discusses a study examining the stress of being constantly available by cell phone and pager.

The round-the-clock availability that cell phones and pagers have brought to people’s lives may be taking a toll on family life, a new study suggests.

The study, which followed more than 1,300 adults over 2 years, found that those who consistently used a mobile phone or pager throughout the study period were more likely to report negative “spillover” between work and home life — and, in turn, less satisfaction with their family life.

The researcher’s suggestion?

To ease the extra burden on working mothers, she added, parents could have particular days when one or the other is “on call,” so that moms are not getting all of the appliance-disaster reports.

Great, I’m thinking, another on-call or coverage list I’ve got to be on.

I already have various on-call rotations that I somehow fit into–so many that I don’t even know what any of them are. Why security approvals need on-call, I will never know. Throw in that I’m usually covering for someone on something, the around-the-clock demands of working for a globalized conference, and it’s a wonder I ever leave work at all. Or maybe that’s why I’m so stressed these days. *sigh*

Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for my after-hours call with Asia.

It could be worse: you could be in Australia. Imagine working to an 8 to 10 hour time difference with Europe and 14 to 17 hour time difference with the US. Sleep is a luxury.