The “Crackberry” Phenomenon
“There has been no other individual technology that I think has shaped me as much as BlackBerry. I've arranged my life quite differently because of BlackBerry [...] I'm quite convinced that I would not be working the way I am now, and I wouldn't have arranged how I do my work in a similar way if it were not for a technology like BlackBerry.” (Middleton et al., 2005).
With the addition of features seen in the Curve, many became addicted to the notifications of the phone- many calling their BlackBerry their “Crackberry”, referencing its addictive nature.
During the height of BlackBerry usage, there were books published regarding “CrackBerry” addiction, such as CrackBerry: True Tales of BlackBerry Use and Abuse. Although slightly humorous, the book still resonates today, with research published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction suggesting that “one in three around the world are at risk of developing high-risk problematic smartphone use” (Hicks, 2024)
The implementation of the BlackBerry and BlackBerry Curve changed people’s day-to-day behaviour, studies also showed that the more users were addicted to usage of the phone, it increased their “perceived work overload and technology-family conflict” (Turel et al., 2008). The “always-on, always-connected nature” of the device (Middleton, 2007), although assisting with productivity, disrupted work-life balance and created more stress in people’s day to day life. This even further disrupted family culture, with technology use causing friction between members of the family (Turel et al., 2008), especially during events such as dinner time, which is often a time for connection. One BlackBerry user reported on this phenomenon:
“When my three-year-old daughter pleads with me to put my BlackBerry down during dinner—“Daddy, stop that”—I see the thin but sharp edge of a harsh truth. But I can’t help myself. Soon I am glancing at the tiny screen, hoping she doesn’t notice as she downs her daily dose of mac and cheese. How did I come to this, ignoring my daughter’s pleas just to glimpse the latest email?” (Erdmann, 2015)
This accelerated use of technology, with access to messaging and the internet played a significant role in the increased usage of mobile technology today. According to recent data, “the average person spends 4 hours and 37 minutes on their phone every day” (Duarte, 2025). While most people still use their devices for more “productive purposes”, many spend time using their devices to listen to music, watch short video clips, browse social media and more (Duarte, 2025), which are all features that were first available with the BlackBerry.Some hold the opinion that the adoption of BlackBerry was “the world's first taste of smartphone addiction”, that it “absolutely demolish[ed] the balance the new generation has between reality and technology” and that “BlackBerry gave us great technological advances but perhaps at the cost of one's life outside of the digital.” (Farmer, 2023). This holds great significance in the current zeitgeist of cellphone usage, and cannot be ignored when looking at the BlackBerry Curve 8900 as an artefact.
