We’re doing it everywhere – at our desks, over dinner, in the gym. No wonder 20% of us, according to an Ofcom report, feel nervous without a hi-tech appendage in our hands.
In fact, six out of 10 Scots admit to spending an average of 20.9 hours online each week.
Yes, we’ve officially become a smartphone nation.
But simply being glued to phones or tablets doesn’t mean we’re communicating in the right way.
Witness the couple on a romantic date staring at their screens instead of each other.
And there’s no more important place for effective communication than in the office. This is a place where, if you’re not proactive and in the loop, you can be frozen out faster than Jason Kenny in the Olympic keirin.
That’s why many organisations offer help using internal communications managers – their own in-house public relations professionals.
It’s usually the bigger private sector companies, public sector bodies, local authorities and charities who use these pros to keep communication channels open between staff.
Unlike external communications managers, who deal with issues outside a company, these are in-house messengers whose job it is to inform, educate, and if they’re doing it right, inspire staff.
A frequent posting on s1jobs, internal communications managers are the link between senior management and the workforce.
Using intranet, emails, social media, newsletters and even good old-fashioned posters on noticeboards, they tell everyone all about company performance, developments, training, awards and achievements, promotions and departures.
Getting those messages across can sometimes be a tricky line to walk.
Too much honesty in hard times can lead to low morale; equally too much company spin can lead to cynicism.
So a good internal communications manager has a varied bag of tricks to use: emails (but not too many otherwise they go unread), staff newsletters with engaging features about colleagues, frequently updated intranet and staff meetings – where the snooze factor is kept to a minimum.
When a company’s communications strategy works well employees feel more valued and part of a wider team effort.
Internal communications managers often come from a journalistic or PR background as strong writing, interpersonal and creative skills are required. They need to feel comfortable collaborating at all levels, from senior managers to HR as well as engaging with employees in order to tell their stories.
Oh, and they know when to put that phone down!