From work and pleasure to "weisure"

Do you take your iPhone or Blackberry with you on holiday? Do you take work-related calls, check e-mail or browse the Web outside business hours? Is there more and more overlap between your circle of personal friends and your circle of business colleagues, clients and peers?

Most importantly, is any of this such a bad thing? In the past, it was seen as a weakness - an inability to switch off, compartmentalise or prioritise. But in our increasingly connected world, it's becoming normal.

New York University sociologist Dalton Conley, who coined the term "weisure" to describe this merging of work and pleasure, thinks it's a sign of the times, and not necessarily a flaw.

Of course, this "always on" world can create stress, but it doesn't have to be all or nothing. My colleague Chris Pudney and I discuss this issue in a Focal Point podcast last May.