As more Nigerians rely on the Blackberry phones for business and
social networking, the level of addiction to the device is becoming more
worrisome to people's health. It's addiction could be worse than drug
addiction, Olufamous.com gathered.
BB phone is not only becoming
an indispensable tool for high flying Nigerians, the increasing demand
for BB and current fad as a status symbol could result in widespread
health hazards for Nigerians.
According to a report by Kunle Azzez, ICT Correspondent, Gbenga
Arowora’s life revolves round his blackberry phone. He clutches it
firmly all day and never for one moment lets it slip away from his firm
grip until midnight when he places it carefully by his pillow as he
finally goes to bed. The blackberry is his most dependable partner, a
partner he must consult for all his businesses and a partner which also
serves as a veritable link with his contacts around the world. Like most
high-flying Nigerians, Arowora is addicted to the blackberry.
A
recent survey revealed there are over 200,000 Nigerians already hooked
on the blackberry now regarded as the most effective and efficient
communication tool for business executives and also for staying
connected to friends, relatives and associates on personal levels.
Blackberry was originally manufactured for accessing emails while on the
move but has since become a reliable integrated wireless communications
platform. As it catches on fast among Nigerians, Blackberry is becoming
so addictive that owners may need to be weaned off them with treatment
similar to that given to drug users.
In what seems like a
confirmation of a recent study by the New Jersey’s Rutgers University
School, Blackberry is fuelling a rise in email and internet addiction,
with sufferers able to survive only a few minutes without checking for
new mail. Indeed, Arowora confessed that he is mostly unaware of people
and events around him whenever he’s using the gadget. Now he even wakes
up at night to chat with friends as his BB beeps all night.
Arowora
is not alone. Mutiu Adeyemi, a banker told said he and his colleagues
now rely on the BB to perform their daily tasks. He said his bank
encouraged employees to buy the phone through a special in-house scheme
“in order for us to be more efficient as we are able to work as if we
are in the office for it helps to attend to assignments more quickly and
easily.” This, of course, means they have to continue working even at
home at odd hours.
Investigation reveals that the demand for BB
is on the increase throughout Nigeria. This trend was confirmed by the
Business Development Manager, Slots Systems Limited, one of the biggest
phone retail outlets in the country, Mr. Patrick Egbulefu. According to
him, more Nigerians now throng the company’s outlets daily requesting
for BB, a situation he described as not surprising because of the
enticing features of the phone.
Now, the BB has become a status
symbol gadget in Nigeria as it has been turned into an index for
measuring class status. Investigation reveals it is also being linked to
criminal activities in the country. For instance, apart from its
widespread use among business executives, political office holders and a
number of celebrities in the country, some young Nigerian ladies have
become so addicted to the use of the device that a minute parting with
the gadget seems like dismembering them.
Their addiction to the
device and desire to go extra miles to own a Blackberry phone was
captured in a Nollywood film titled: Blackberry Babes by Simony
Pictures. The movie, which runs part 1 and part 2, is a hilarious
exposition of the Nigerian reality and growing BB addiction.
It
is the story of a group of university friends, all female, whose social
and private lives are centred on the supposedly fascinating world of BB
phones. Unable to fund their addiction, the girls rely on rich men to
buy them the latest models. But phones, money and other treats come at a
price: In return, the girls offer these men sex and/or companionship
and the whole thing turns into a rather pathetic competition – the aim
being to get the latest Blackberry model before everyone else and
“flaunt” it wherever they go. The use of Blackberry phones as a tool for
prostitution and other licentious activities is another negative
development that has become a reality in Nigeria today.
A
Lagos-based female National Youth Service Corps member, who pleaded
anonymity recalled how some of her friends fraternised with the
so-called big men just to acquire Blackberry phones. “After acquiring
the BB, they venture into some funny games by posting their Blackberry
PIN numbers to social networking sites for prospective customers and as
expected, they receive calls from clients and soon begin to chat
endlessly until the men are hooked. My friends have since been dating
the rich men who carry them from one hotel to another and also contract
them to their male friends in exchange for money which they (the
Blackberry girls) use to settle their monthly internet access fees.
"At
times, they would take x-rated pictures of themselves and circulate to
prospective clients through their BB. They are making a lot of money
now. I have since kept away from them because I cannot cope with their
current ‘status’. I don’t have a Blackberry and I can’t imagine myself
indulging in such a dirty game,” the female Corps member stressed.