By Eef Gerard Van Emmerik

SO I got myself a Blackberry (BB) recently. Unfortunately, it turns out that I'm not as adept at multi-tasking as I thought I would be.

I've fiddled with my BB so much so that I've missed bus stops, (almost) entered the ladies' toilet and taken the wrong lift to my home.

Not to mention, I actually suffer from the affliction aptly called 'Blackberry Thumb' whereby one's thumbs become sore from overuse.

People! Blackberry Thumb is not a myth! After I was hit by it, I spoke with my BB-using friends and it turns out that they suffered from it too, usually within the first month of BB usage. However, for those thinking of getting a BB, do not fret, Blackberry Thumb goes away after about a week.

The thing is, I was rather pleased that I got BB Thumb. It was like a rite of passage, a baptism of fire. I had crossed the threshold and I had officially become part of an excessively well-connected class of individuals.

My friends all use Blackberries: We all have the same phone - with Blackberry Messenger function - and can IM each other instantly and at very low cost, no matter where in the world we are.

Considering how global my generation is, this is a huge boon. The other day, two of my friends were graduating in London and they sent me up-to-the-second updates on the ceremony, complete with pictures snapped from their Blackberries.

I duly uploaded the photos to Facebook and, viola, every one of our friends could share in the occasion.

Same with my birthday, when my friends threw a surprise party for me. Some of those who were out of the country surprised me with messages.

For us, these devices are much more than just tools of communication. They provide an alternate platform of connectedness that allows people to stay in close proximity despite being miles apart.

Considering how tragically lonely and isolated one can feel sometimes in the city, surrounded by people, yet all alone still, objects such as the Blackberry allow us to feel the warmth of the people we love from far away.

The writer, 21, is a first-year law student at SMU.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.