The round--the --lock availability that cell phones have brought to people's lives may be  _ amily life,  a new study suggests.The study,  which followed more than 1300 adults over 2 years, found that those who consistently used a mobile phone through out the study period were more likely to report  negative "spillover" between work and home life - and, in turn, less satisfaction with their family life. Spillover actually means that the line between work and home began to become unclear, Work life may invade home life-when a parent is taking job--related calls at home,  for instance - or family issues may start to take up work time.For example, a child may call Mom at work, telling her "the microwave exploded" , explained Noelle Chesley, an assistant professor of society at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and the author of the study. The problem with cell phones seems to be they are allowing for ever more spillover between work and home. This may be especially true for working women, the study found.Among men, consistent use of mobile phones seemed not to allow more work issues to creep  into family time.But for women,  the spillover tended to go in both directions - being "connected" means that work cuts into home time, and family issues come into work life. Cell phones seem to be opening more lines for stressful exchange among family members.But there may be ways to control the spillover,  according to Chesley. Employers, she said,  should look at their policies on contacting employees after working hours to make sure their expectations are"reasonable".For their part,  employees can decide that cell phones go off during family time,  Chesley said, What is the author's attitude towards round-the-clock availability of the cell phone?
Curious. Positive. Opposed. Objective.