On family vacations, it's sun, sea (and e-mail)

CASTAWAY CAY, Bahamas, Mar 12 (Reuters) When I caught myself furtively thumb-typing my way through e-mails in a bathroom on a Disney cruise ship, I realised I had a problem.

It was a family holiday we'd planned for over a year: four days at Disney World in Florida and three days on a Caribbean cruise. I'd promised my two children and my husband that I would forget about work.

But the temptation to avoid drowning under unread messages when I returned to work was too great.

Like many others I spotted on the ship, I found myself sneakily using my BlackBerry, the wireless, hand-held e-mail device nicknamed the CrackBerry.

Addiction to technology is hardly new but it is spreading with the use of portable e-mail devices which can encroach into family time, sparking resentment among children and partners.

Despite acknowledging its intrusion, most users just can't help clearing a few e-mails while in the supermarket checkout line or even during the wait for a Disney ride.

I have joined those ranks, ignoring my children rolling their eyes or their pleas to ''put it away.'' British and American researchers last year found one-third of BlackBerry users showed signs of addictive behavior with symptoms of denial and withdrawal similar to an alcoholic or drug addict.

The team from New Jersey's Rutgers University and the University of Northampton in Britain found weaning users off portable e-mail devices was much like weaning from drug use.

NEWS JUNKIES Many reporters already tend towards addictive behavior, obsessing over every nuance in a politician's speech or hunting for hidden gems in a company earnings statement.

Journalists at a real-time news agency like Reuters thrive on watching world events unfold before their eyes.

Like a lot of news junkies, I have spent vacations in exotic climes poring over local newspapers or listening to TV news bulletins in languages I don't understand to get my fix.

Now, palm-sized devices with immediate access to news and e-mail provide information on tap.

Companies have become increasingly aware of the intrusion of new technology into home life and the adverse effect it can have on relationships and stress levels.

Bosses at Reuters are among those who encourage staff to switch off their BlackBerry during vacations and insist that they don't need a reply when they e-mail you at 5 am. (local time) But many users refuse to disconnect, prompting some hotels to take matters into their own hands.

The upscale Little Palm Island Resort&Spa in the Florida Keys, which is accessible only by boat, has for the past year offered to lock away guests' mobile devices.

''The whole premise of the resort is to get away from it all and we have no phones, no television, no children under 16, and no alarm clocks,'' said resort spokeswoman Susan Howarth.

''But with more people using cellphones and BlackBerrys especially we found people were still very connected so came up with this idea so people can honestly tell their boss that they will not be available on e-mail.'' In the end my obsession cured itself, at least for 36 hours.

After five days of clandestine e-mailing, my wireless connection was lost as we headed from Florida to The Bahamas where Disney has its own island, Castaway Cay.

Did I get the sweats as I went cold turkey? No, but I did get fed up with the kids asking if they could now have the BlackBerry to play ''BrickBreaker'' on it.

REUTERS SB PM0941