It Does Have a Power Switch

Yes, I use a Blackberry.  And yes, I have been known to be...er, uh...distracted by it.  Yesterday, after soliciting the room number of a hospital patient, I punched the "up" elevator call button and began to enter the room information into my phone.  The elevator arrived surprisingly quickly, and without looking up I stepped through the open doors, still entering data.  Two passengers already in the elevator stood silently until one of them, noticing my inattention, asked, "Are you going anywhere in particular?"  Sheepishly, I put my phone away, pressed my floor selection and apologized.  Yes, I could stand to pay more attention to what I'm doing.

But it isn't the phone's fault.  I am the one who interrupts what I'm doing to attend to its various vibrations, tones, and blinking lights.  I am the one who panics when I see the battery strength running low.  I am the one who mentally checks out of long-running meetings to send a text message or carry on a surreptitious instant messaging conversation with my wife.  I am my own distractional perpetrator, not the technological victim.  So you'll understand my disconcerted amusement, then, to receive an email last evening from a company from whom I have purchased various Blackberry applications announcing the introduction of their newest product offering -- simply called "Freedom."  But here, let me allow them to make their own pitch:

Are you a BlackBerry® addict?
Freedom is a simple productivity application that locks you away from using the phone function or the internet on your BlackBerry®. Freedom frees you from distractions, allowing you to have private time with your spouse, time to analyze, write or create. After the offline time is up, Freedom automatically restores all connections. You can choose the time: from a few minutes up to half a day.
Note: If you are in a case of emergency and you really need to make a phone call (e.g. call an ambulance) you can always reset your device by pulling out the battery. This is the only way that allows you to get all connections reinstated.

• Gives you time to concentrate and focus.
• Fix Freedom time in minutes.
• Cuts off any interruption from your BlackBerry®: SMS, email, phone calls, Facebook, Twitter, Social Feeds, BBM, news, weather info, etc.
• Works with radio, WiFi, Bluetooth, GSM, CDMA, 3G, and more.

So let me get this straight:  I open this application, set a designated time limit during which I "do not wish to be disturbed" -- during which I can be "productive" -- and the program completely disables the phone; something like a teacher confiscating a toy.  Amazing, and all for only $2.99. 

Or, here's a thought:  I could exercise a little responsible self-discipline and simply turn the device Off.