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Smartphones on holiday: is that a smart idea for your work-life balance? Smartphones on holiday: is that a smart idea for your work-life balance?
(12 days later)
It has been a middling season in the south coast resort where greens and grandees, bikers and Bentleys, the cool and the crumpled, like to hang out. The weather has often been poor and the Olympics have proved a distraction. But Brighton bravely battles on, as plucky in adversity as Blackpool or Bridlington.It has been a middling season in the south coast resort where greens and grandees, bikers and Bentleys, the cool and the crumpled, like to hang out. The weather has often been poor and the Olympics have proved a distraction. But Brighton bravely battles on, as plucky in adversity as Blackpool or Bridlington.
Julia Butcher and her partner Christopher Sparrow are from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and have popped down to Brighton for the day, marking their arrival with a coffee – and hammering away at their mobile phones.Julia Butcher and her partner Christopher Sparrow are from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and have popped down to Brighton for the day, marking their arrival with a coffee – and hammering away at their mobile phones.
"He uses his phone much more than I do," says Butcher, who is only using hers to tell friends they have arrived safely. Sparrow, who is in the retail business, has the smartphone, but Butcher, a nanny, is the one who drives: "So I can concentrate on the driving while he can be working on the routes.""He uses his phone much more than I do," says Butcher, who is only using hers to tell friends they have arrived safely. Sparrow, who is in the retail business, has the smartphone, but Butcher, a nanny, is the one who drives: "So I can concentrate on the driving while he can be working on the routes."
Do their phones upset the work-life balance? Sparrow says he tries not to deal with office business on holiday and mainly uses his smartphone email to keep work at bay. He says it's more a blessing than a curse: "When you need the phone it's there, it's handy. Years ago you needed a phone box."Do their phones upset the work-life balance? Sparrow says he tries not to deal with office business on holiday and mainly uses his smartphone email to keep work at bay. He says it's more a blessing than a curse: "When you need the phone it's there, it's handy. Years ago you needed a phone box."
According to a recent Ofcom report, more than a quarter of adults and almost half the UK's teenagers own a smartphone – iPhones, Androids and BlackBerrys – with numbers rising rapidly. About 81% of smartphone owners use them many times every day, compared with 53% of owners of earlier mobile models.According to a recent Ofcom report, more than a quarter of adults and almost half the UK's teenagers own a smartphone – iPhones, Androids and BlackBerrys – with numbers rising rapidly. About 81% of smartphone owners use them many times every day, compared with 53% of owners of earlier mobile models.
More and more people with smartphones admit making personal use of their devices during work, but many more (70%), the survey found, take work calls during their leisure time.More and more people with smartphones admit making personal use of their devices during work, but many more (70%), the survey found, take work calls during their leisure time.
On Brighton's pebbly beach, Anne, her friend Alison, and Alison's daughter, Kristen, down from Enfield, north London, for the day with the kids, all have smartphones. They say they use them a lot and are busy sending photos to friends. Would they answer if the office rang? "No, not on holiday." Not if it was the boss? No. "When you're away you don't want to hear from anyone," says Anne.On Brighton's pebbly beach, Anne, her friend Alison, and Alison's daughter, Kristen, down from Enfield, north London, for the day with the kids, all have smartphones. They say they use them a lot and are busy sending photos to friends. Would they answer if the office rang? "No, not on holiday." Not if it was the boss? No. "When you're away you don't want to hear from anyone," says Anne.
A nine-year-old in the group boasts an iPod which she handles more deftly than mum. "What's a tape recorder?" one of the children asked the other day. The mums laugh at the generation gap.A nine-year-old in the group boasts an iPod which she handles more deftly than mum. "What's a tape recorder?" one of the children asked the other day. The mums laugh at the generation gap.
Four grey-haired tourists boast only one "antiquated" mobile between them, for emergencies only. What if the office rang? "I don't get calls from the office, I'm not that important," explains one man. "Not at our age," adds a woman.Four grey-haired tourists boast only one "antiquated" mobile between them, for emergencies only. What if the office rang? "I don't get calls from the office, I'm not that important," explains one man. "Not at our age," adds a woman.
All the same, far more people on the beach seem to be tapping away than doing other beach activities. In the 20 years since mobiles ceased to weigh 8 lbs - and look like a brick ‚Ä" they have become ubiquitous, even on the beach. Brighton's seaThe Guardian finds only one group proud not to have a mobile to hand ("They talk mostly nonsense anyway," says the matron in charge).An Indian couple on holiday (she's doing her master's degree in Britain) are Skypeing the family at home from the beach because it's their first wedding anniversary. Two sisters, in Brighton because mum (90) has been admitted to Sussex county hospital, admit to having "one idiot phone" between them, again with nothing more ambitious than to keep in touch. "It's OK for businesspeople to take business calls; I wouldn't," says one.All the same, far more people on the beach seem to be tapping away than doing other beach activities. In the 20 years since mobiles ceased to weigh 8 lbs - and look like a brick ‚Ä" they have become ubiquitous, even on the beach. Brighton's seaThe Guardian finds only one group proud not to have a mobile to hand ("They talk mostly nonsense anyway," says the matron in charge).An Indian couple on holiday (she's doing her master's degree in Britain) are Skypeing the family at home from the beach because it's their first wedding anniversary. Two sisters, in Brighton because mum (90) has been admitted to Sussex county hospital, admit to having "one idiot phone" between them, again with nothing more ambitious than to keep in touch. "It's OK for businesspeople to take business calls; I wouldn't," says one.
A care home manager taking the sea air with his family says he keeps his phone switched on because he has a responsible job and has to stay in touch. No, his 12-year-old son doesn't have an iPhone – "I don't want one, I have a Xbox."A care home manager taking the sea air with his family says he keeps his phone switched on because he has a responsible job and has to stay in touch. No, his 12-year-old son doesn't have an iPhone – "I don't want one, I have a Xbox."
Some analysts predict a trend towards privately owned smartphones, customised for personal needs, but also used for work. That makes some worry about contaminating company IT systems – either via technical glitches or "inappropriate" activity. The answer, they say, lies not in returning to the old days of having two phones, but allowing two separate operating systems: one for work, one for leisure, which can co-exist securely within one smartphone.Some analysts predict a trend towards privately owned smartphones, customised for personal needs, but also used for work. That makes some worry about contaminating company IT systems – either via technical glitches or "inappropriate" activity. The answer, they say, lies not in returning to the old days of having two phones, but allowing two separate operating systems: one for work, one for leisure, which can co-exist securely within one smartphone.
Pacing up and down in a blue shirt on Brighton's sole surviving pier while talking about "salvage", James Ross is clearly doing business despite the presence of his young family. A self-employed insurance broker from Hinckley, Leicestershire, he's been at Butlins in Bognor for a fortnight but reckons a few "firefighting" business calls are unavoidable. "I do not answer emails. I work for myself and try to avoid as much as I can." This particular call about a crashed car is personal: the car was his wife's.Pacing up and down in a blue shirt on Brighton's sole surviving pier while talking about "salvage", James Ross is clearly doing business despite the presence of his young family. A self-employed insurance broker from Hinckley, Leicestershire, he's been at Butlins in Bognor for a fortnight but reckons a few "firefighting" business calls are unavoidable. "I do not answer emails. I work for myself and try to avoid as much as I can." This particular call about a crashed car is personal: the car was his wife's.
Around Brighton's other famous landmark, at the Prince Regent's Pavilion, a young couple say "no way" to any suggestion that they blur their personal life with work calls. "When I am with Lucy I tend not to get personal calls," says Lucy's boyfriend. So why was Lucy just on her phone? "I am looking for a job."Around Brighton's other famous landmark, at the Prince Regent's Pavilion, a young couple say "no way" to any suggestion that they blur their personal life with work calls. "When I am with Lucy I tend not to get personal calls," says Lucy's boyfriend. So why was Lucy just on her phone? "I am looking for a job."
In the UK in 2012 the line between personal life and work life is diverging for many people, not integrating. As for Brighton's lighter than usual tourist traffic, some in the holiday trade blame smartphones – or rather the customised weather forecasts. "If their phone says it might rain in Brighton, they stay away," says a veteran of the pier. "Then it doesn't rain."In the UK in 2012 the line between personal life and work life is diverging for many people, not integrating. As for Brighton's lighter than usual tourist traffic, some in the holiday trade blame smartphones – or rather the customised weather forecasts. "If their phone says it might rain in Brighton, they stay away," says a veteran of the pier. "Then it doesn't rain."
Comments
42 comments, displaying first
20 August 2012 3:15PM
Holiday is for "getting away from it all" therefore no you shouldn't take it with you & if you do don't answer your employer.
There should be in place a system that cove your holidays.
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20 August 2012 3:16PM
Should of course read covers - Oh for that necessary edit button - come on Guardian
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20 August 2012 3:19PM
I took my nokia to Skegness once. Does that count?
Wasn't a free trip provided by the Guardian, though. And I didn't think it interesting enough to write an article about it.
Still have the phone, incidentally.
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20 August 2012 3:21PM
Now THIS is journalism! Loved Lucy's boyfriend's sly dig. Bet he's in the doghouse now!
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20 August 2012 3:26PM
This article is more suited to the sun.
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20 August 2012 3:27PM
It's not the phones that are intrusive, it's people's attitude to them, either being unable to ignore it or expecting others to drop everything when the damned things rings. I never had a mobile phone myself, but that's to change soon, according to my wife.
I was momentarily freaked right out when I saw the hairy gorilla arm over the lady's shoulders at 00:28!
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20 August 2012 3:39PM
Apart from the man emailing on his phone, everybody was texting, which you can do more quickly and easily on a push button phone.
The whole thing is an emporor's new clothes. Nobody uses apps. Nobody likes using the web on a small screen.
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20 August 2012 3:40PM
Two phones is definitely the best way.
Work do not have the number of my personal phone, and my work phone is turned off at 9pm on weeknights, 6pm on Friday night, all weekend and when I am on leave.
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20 August 2012 3:43PM
There is an element whereby individiduals sense of self importance means that they will insist upon being available when on holiday, even when this is not required. This availability then becomes seen as something as the norm meaning that those that wish to maintain a didvide between work & home/holiday are seen in a less favourable light.
Agree totally with the comment above that this is all about managing cover when on leave. Quite why so many people need to spend their time on the beach telling everyone else about how they are on the beach via FB/Twitter etc... rather than just enjoying it is nuts though. It seems you can't be somewhere unless you have tagged, photographed, uploaded & commented on it.
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20 August 2012 3:47PM
I was sailing last year with a finance guy from the city. The navigation function on his I phone was very impressive until he dropped it overboard. He did admit after a couple of days that it was quite cathartic to be out of touch.
I did the mobile on all of the time about 12 years ago but found they just extend the working day. I have one for personal that not many people know the number of and another for when I am looking for my next assignment, haven't switched that one on in about 12 months.
Reading > Winchester railway, bliss, very poor mobile coverage, not to many morons bellowing into their phones. They have their place but i find a lot of people, when they get an email and i am talking to them are more interested in the email. Perhaps i am boring :-)
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20 August 2012 3:49PM
The smart phone is a Tamagochi for over-12s - taking it anywhere with you, particularly on holiday - is like having a really clingy, needy, obtrusive, attention-seeking acqaintance tagging along for free.
Turn it off, bury it in your shoulder bag, and only get it out if your car catches fire or you get buried in an avalanche.
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20 August 2012 3:51PM
I'm not sure why, but I find Michael's videos strangely soothing.
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20 August 2012 3:57PM
Mobiles have caller ID. Use it. If the call is business-related then don't answer it when on holiday just as when working personal calls don't get answer ... except for emergency. Simple. Now why all the fuss?
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20 August 2012 4:24PM
I've never quite understood people who talk loudly into mobile phones in public places.
Most people (quite understandably) are a bit embarrassed about having to have private conversations in front of a group of strangers. They talk quieter or more sensibly let the call go to voicemail and deal with it at some later more convenient time.
Some though seem to revel in it and enjoy the fact they are broadcasting their conversations to half the English speaking world.
What I am getting at with reference to this article I guess is that some people like to feel like they are the centre of the world or just like to be the centre of attention. The mobile phone is an ideal tool to help them create that illusion.
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20 August 2012 4:38PM
I just read that as 'took my nookie to Skegness'.
*goes and cleans glasses*
Equally plausible, though.
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20 August 2012 4:48PM
Well, blatantly cheated recently - borrow other people's.
But it's a habit I'll probably need to get out of as I work for myself and this time it was noticable how many work offers I was getting. Also how truly global it can be. Mainland European-based people communicating between London (attending Olympic events), Antarctica and Russia etc to arrange projects and keep things going.
What I found though is that is perfectly easy to deal with the one thing (eg. reading an email) but it can be quite hard to focus more widely - to tune your mind into related things like your diary to make sure you are not double-booking and to go to the effort if finding other info etc.
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20 August 2012 4:58PM
I am actually beginning to hate bloody mobile phones. Must admit I have an ancient half-brick size one for emergencies. But these days, people cannot live without jabbering away. The girl at the check-out today actually stopping packing her shopping whilst we all patiently waited, and she gabbled on. The young mum with a buggy the size of a Sherman tank who ran over my foot becasue she was heads down. The neighbours who pop in for tea and sit on the sofa sending text messages as if their very lives depend on it. The loud voice in the street, the swearing, arguments. People discuss all sorts of intimate stuff on the bus. Very loudly.
I know I'm getting old and crabby. Perhaps in future we should all have a mobile implanted.
How times change. When I was a young gal we had a phone box 200 yards up the road. We clutched pennies in our hand and had to press buttons A then B. Ah, don't you just love progress.
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20 August 2012 5:07PM
Rubbish. So nobody uses Angry Birds, Facebook or even Google Maps? And having the internet on a small screen is much preferred to having no internet at all, in so many situations. I wouldn't choose to use my phone to browse the internet instead of my computer, but that's not the point of smartphones.
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20 August 2012 5:16PM
MrsMagpie @4.58 is surely summing up how many people feel. I'm sure it's got little or nothing to do with age -- I have plenty of young/youngish friends who are just as troubled by telephone and texting obsessives (which often seems to equate with most 'mobile phone' users, whether or not it actually does) as older people can be. Part of the problem is that such troubled feeling (i.e. normal healthy psychology) as yet lacks any organised outlet, meaning that the backlash when it comes might be a lot more difficult and unpleasant than might otherwise have been the case.
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20 August 2012 5:34PM
Good old Michael White, perfectly dressed for the piece - his jacket says work, that shirt says holiday, he's dressed the dilemma he's exploring
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20 August 2012 5:37PM
Perhaps i am boring
Perhaps you a...
Hang on, my phone's ringing
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20 August 2012 6:16PM
My old boss used to ring me about work-stuff-that-could-wait when I was on holiday, expecting me to pay the ridiculous roaming charges for the privilege. He couldn't understand why I never answered and had voicemail turned off until I got back.
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20 August 2012 6:21PM
Tell me about it (this is an excellent article from a sociological perspective by the way because it offers insights into many different kinds of people's points of view.)
I went to London a month ago for a short break. And, I kid you not, just as the train pulled out of Lyon's Part Dieu station to take me to Lille and the Eurostar I got an email on my phone. It was from a client (I'm an independent translator) asking me if I could translate a short - 900-word - document that same day.
Even though that client gives me regular business and always pays right on time, and that their staff are very helpful, it was with a heavy heart that I emailed back to say that I'd do it on the train and send it when I got to St. Pancras.
I love watching the countryside fly by through the window, which is one reason I love trains, but I saw nothing but my Blackberry screen during that particular journey.....:(
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20 August 2012 6:28PM
The idea that you aren't really doing something unless you can tell everyone is not really new, it was commonly seen with people with video cameras, who had to record every action to bore the family with later. But it has got worse. And I recently saw a couple walking hand in hand romantically chatting ... to separate people on their mobiles.
A friend of mine had an answer to the loud business call on the train. Sitting opposite a particularly noisy man, she took out a notebook and began to make notes of what he was saying. when he asked what the ... she was doing, she said "no, go on, this is really interesting". When he said it was private she said "well why are you telling us all about it then". He stopped in some embarassment. And a former boss of mine once sat opposite me, didn't even recognise me, and began to slag off our firm and tell her friend on the other end of the line that she was leaving and wouldn't give in any notice, just slope off before the shit hit the fan of all the stuff she should have done but hadn't.
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20 August 2012 6:41PM
Good old Michael White, perfectly dressed for the piece - his jacket says work, that shirt says holiday, he's dressed the dilemma he's exploring
Actually, his jacket says Oxfam and his shirt says alcoholic.
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20 August 2012 7:57PM
There is high social pressure now to amswer texts and emails as soon as you get them. I resist it as much as possible but it is difficult. I have a friend who does not even have voicemail on her landline - I think she has the right idea.
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20 August 2012 8:51PM
Even here in rural Egypt, I have noticed the same thing. I was sat in a restaurant overlooking Luxor temple, and got talking with an English/Egyptian family on holiday here. They were complaining about the cost of using the internet in their hotel, so I mentioned that where we were had free WiFi - a person sat at the next table, working on his laptop confirmed this. It took about 30 seconds for both parents to get out their smartphones, and to start reading their emails, texting and generally ignoring the temple, their children etc!
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20 August 2012 9:48PM
I for one have zero problem turning off my cellphone when not working, dont get me wrong I feel the pressure to always be available and other people often tout their availability as a sign of their work ethic but circumstances have shown me that work is a transient thing and something that needs perspective applied to it, I was one of those people who was always available to help out no matter what, morning noon and night but during the recession when my position became surplus to requirements I was down the road with little consideration for any of that devotion, I may come across as bitter but it really isnt like that I just have come to understand what the real priorities in my life are, work is merely a means to an end, I may suffer for that line of thinking but after my experiences Work will always come second to my family and my close friends, those who are with you during the bad as well as the good times, I work because I have to pay bills and provide for my family and when there I perform my duties to the best of my abilities but if im on Holiday then im on Holiday and thats it, of course the boss wants you available 24/7 and all the better that he doesnt have to pay you for it, what Boss wouldnt? But what are we here for? Who ever lay on their death bed and wished that they had worked more?
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20 August 2012 10:28PM
I fucking hate people who talk loudly on public transport on their phones. No need for it, talk quietly or let it go on voicemail. 99.9999 times out 100 the conversation is boring that could be sent via text.
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20 August 2012 10:52PM
When on holiday with your partner swap phones. I answer my wife's, she answers mine. "Can I speak to XXXX?" "S/he's in the pool / just gone to the bar / etc, but I can get her/him for you if it's really important." Soon puts a stop to the pointless calls. As for email - isn't that what the "out of office reply" is for? Would both turn them off of course but being freelance workers there are times that the calls just have to be taken. Maybe only one or two per holiday but there we are.
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20 August 2012 11:28PM
I loved traveling through Africa years ago, when the only communication means to be had were letters, phones in cities and faxes (which because they were all rare, made them that much more special).
Like all things in life, less (communication) is more (special).
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21 August 2012 12:55AM
My spouse is addicted to work. So when it's my turn to choose a holiday location, I choose remote wilderness areas where there are no access to the internet or much of any sort of technology.
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21 August 2012 3:57AM
I think everyone underestimates the need of the people to communicate. To be honest, people never saw it coming and many are still in denial.
I visited a remote part of India a couple of years ago where the nearby village had no power and no cell phone coverage at all, the village was a settled tribal group living basically just above a subsistence economy.
Despite this, quite a few of the villagers had cellphones. On market days they would walk to the town the night before, find somewhere to charge their phone and then could call to see who else was at the market, how much things should sell for or cost and generally catch up things.
Humans for millenniums have worked out how to communicate effectively, papyrus, songlines, bards, Hieroglyphs.
I think we still underestimate the power of communication, despite all logging in here to communicate with each other.
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21 August 2012 9:03AM
i had my smartphone with me on holiday this year, but it was purely for selfish reasons - we're in the middle of organising a relocation overseas with -9 hour difference, so needed to respond to emails to my work account from the various agencies involved.
My boss rang once, i let it ring out. The guy that is my backup rang twice, both times I answered. The rest of the time it was reading about restaurants and things to do around where we found ourselves.
Also, i finished angry birds and had a great game of scrabble with my wife on the various train rides.
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21 August 2012 11:02AM
"He uses his phone much more than I do," says Butcher, who is only using hers to tell friends they have arrived safely. Sparrow, who is in the retail business, has the smartphone, but Butcher, a nanny, is the one who drives: "So I can concentrate on the driving while he can be working on the routes."
This bit made me smile. Telling friends you've made it safely all the way from Buckinghamshire to Brighton. Gosh, I bet those friends were really interested to hear that a day trip was going so well. No, Butcher, you're not in the slightest bit phone obsessed.
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21 August 2012 11:23AM
I find it makes no difference in Brighton.
O2 barely have a signal anywhere.
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21 August 2012 4:28PM
I love my smartphone, but then I have one for work and a home one. The work one goes on the shelf when I get in (and it has a deliciously short battery life) and I don't check it again until the next working day. I very occasionally get work calls in the evening but not often.
I love the fact I can do everything I need on my android phone, but here is a big hint. Put it on silent unless you really need it, such as when you are out and about. Then you are its master and you only have to deal wioth it when its your choice.
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21 August 2012 5:05PM
If you saw any mobile phones, let alone smartphones, on the beach then their owners had kind of missed the point of 'going to the beach'.
And I dont care if they had bought an app that explains to them how to 'go to the beach'.
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21 August 2012 5:21PM
Being a global program manager I tend to take my work blackberry with me on holiday. My team cover in full on my behalf whilst I'm away but I get 120-150 emails on an average day around the clock so a week long holiday will generate around 700 to 1,000 unread emails which would take nearly a week to catch up on.
By taking 15-20 minutes per day to scan the days emails I have a good idea what will await me on my return and therefore avoid any nasty surprises whilst also prioritising the most urgent requests. Voicemails on the other hand are completely ignored no matter how senior the caller - I'll see their email within a few hours and call them back if absolutely necessary.
Our company encourages us to draw a big black line between work and family but I have no wife or children and travel alone. If I did, my attitude would definitely change. The option always exists to have a blackberry free holiday with no adverse consequences. Some of my colleagues though also take their work laptop with them - I would never do that.
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22 August 2012 8:16AM
I have a smartphone which I love to take on holiday with me. Not for calls mind, but for maps, music, games, news, internet, restaurant reviews, tripadvisor, reading the guardian etc etc. Stop thinking of them as phones and more as computers and you get the gist. I also have a work blackberry which I take on holiday but will check only depending on whether I am heavily involved in something that I have delegated that may need my response (often things I work on are very time specific so saying someone else can do it when they have not been involved for the previous three months, or that I do it on my return, does not really work).
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22 August 2012 8:54AM
These are mostly mellow and interesting points and tips - proof that, smart phones or not, we are in relaxed mood in August.
Since writing the piece I encountered the witty word "worliday" - coined by clever FT pundit, Lucy Kellaway - to cover the blurring on work/holiday divide.
Savanah, 3G phones have transformed life - and economic activity - in places like Africa which lack hard-wired infrastructure. Excellent.
On balance a good thing, we are not FORCED to carry or answer our phones, we chose to, usually with good reason. But some of us are addictive and should watch it.
Good point, Fwoggle, I do that too, keep my emails weeded before I get back to work, though my Blackberry is set on wifi only - not roaming - on holiday abroad.
Last but not least, thanks to Jolph for a gracious comment on my sartorials. Less charm from Getoffmycloud, but judging from Cloud's enjoyably inaccurate summary of what i was wearing on Brighton beach and his (it's always a him) dark glasses, there may be a eyesight issue here.
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22 August 2012 6:51PM
I have found that clerical staff in offices seem to have contempt for landlines and try to contact people on mobile phones.
I worked for some years at a distance from home and used to work one-two days a week from home. I had given strict instruction that if they needed me they should use my landline and not my mobile. They kept on ringing my mobile and I kept on telling them off.
The worst was when my daughter went on a remote walk. I gave her my mobile as a safety measure, and for us to be able to contact her. She got so stressed receiving calls from my office that she decided never to turn it on.
I do not know about smartphones, but any mobile does interfere with civilised life.
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The Guardian went to Brighton seafront in August to see if smartphones are allowing work to intrude on people's leisure
It has been a middling season in the south coast resort where greens and grandees, bikers and Bentleys, the cool and the crumpled, like to hang out. The weather has often been poor and the Olympics have proved a distraction. But Brighton bravely battles on, as plucky in adversity as Blackpool or Bridlington.
Julia Butcher and her partner Christopher Sparrow are from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and have popped down to Brighton for the day, marking their arrival with a coffee – and hammering away at their mobile phones.
"He uses his phone much more than I do," says Butcher, who is only using hers to tell friends they have arrived safely. Sparrow, who is in the retail business, has the smartphone, but Butcher, a nanny, is the one who drives: "So I can concentrate on the driving while he can be working on the routes."
Do their phones upset the work-life balance? Sparrow says he tries not to deal with office business on holiday and mainly uses his smartphone email to keep work at bay. He says it's more a blessing than a curse: "When you need the phone it's there, it's handy. Years ago you needed a phone box."
According to a recent Ofcom report, more than a quarter of adults and almost half the UK's teenagers own a smartphone – iPhones, Androids and BlackBerrys – with numbers rising rapidly. About 81% of smartphone owners use them many times every day, compared with 53% of owners of earlier mobile models.
More and more people with smartphones admit making personal use of their devices during work, but many more (70%), the survey found, take work calls during their leisure time.
On Brighton's pebbly beach, Anne, her friend Alison, and Alison's daughter, Kristen, down from Enfield, north London, for the day with the kids, all have smartphones. They say they use them a lot and are busy sending photos to friends. Would they answer if the office rang? "No, not on holiday." Not if it was the boss? No. "When you're away you don't want to hear from anyone," says Anne.
A nine-year-old in the group boasts an iPod which she handles more deftly than mum. "What's a tape recorder?" one of the children asked the other day. The mums laugh at the generation gap.
Four grey-haired tourists boast only one "antiquated" mobile between them, for emergencies only. What if the office rang? "I don't get calls from the office, I'm not that important," explains one man. "Not at our age," adds a woman.
All the same, far more people on the beach seem to be tapping away than doing other beach activities. In the 20 years since mobiles ceased to weigh 8 lbs - and look like a brick ‚Ä" they have become ubiquitous, even on the beach. Brighton's seaThe Guardian finds only one group proud not to have a mobile to hand ("They talk mostly nonsense anyway," says the matron in charge).An Indian couple on holiday (she's doing her master's degree in Britain) are Skypeing the family at home from the beach because it's their first wedding anniversary. Two sisters, in Brighton because mum (90) has been admitted to Sussex county hospital, admit to having "one idiot phone" between them, again with nothing more ambitious than to keep in touch. "It's OK for businesspeople to take business calls; I wouldn't," says one.
A care home manager taking the sea air with his family says he keeps his phone switched on because he has a responsible job and has to stay in touch. No, his 12-year-old son doesn't have an iPhone – "I don't want one, I have a Xbox."
Some analysts predict a trend towards privately owned smartphones, customised for personal needs, but also used for work. That makes some worry about contaminating company IT systems – either via technical glitches or "inappropriate" activity. The answer, they say, lies not in returning to the old days of having two phones, but allowing two separate operating systems: one for work, one for leisure, which can co-exist securely within one smartphone.
Pacing up and down in a blue shirt on Brighton's sole surviving pier while talking about "salvage", James Ross is clearly doing business despite the presence of his young family. A self-employed insurance broker from Hinckley, Leicestershire, he's been at Butlins in Bognor for a fortnight but reckons a few "firefighting" business calls are unavoidable. "I do not answer emails. I work for myself and try to avoid as much as I can." This particular call about a crashed car is personal: the car was his wife's.
Around Brighton's other famous landmark, at the Prince Regent's Pavilion, a young couple say "no way" to any suggestion that they blur their personal life with work calls. "When I am with Lucy I tend not to get personal calls," says Lucy's boyfriend. So why was Lucy just on her phone? "I am looking for a job."
In the UK in 2012 the line between personal life and work life is diverging for many people, not integrating. As for Brighton's lighter than usual tourist traffic, some in the holiday trade blame smartphones – or rather the customised weather forecasts. "If their phone says it might rain in Brighton, they stay away," says a veteran of the pier. "Then it doesn't rain."