Meeting Description
Smartphone distraction is a rampant workplace problem. In a national survey conducted by Mr. Mercier’s organization, Screen Education, respondents estimated that employees where they work spend 2.5 hours each day using smartphones to access content unrelated to their job.
Mr. Mercier’s research also has found that this degree of smartphone distraction causes accidents. In fact, 26% of those respondents who worked in an industrial setting — one where heavy machinery, equipment, and fleet vehicles are operated — said accidents indeed had occurred in their workplace as a result of people being distracted by their smartphones. In 59% of these accidents, property was damaged, and in 50% somebody was injured or killed. Employers must mitigate this risk by forging a bold workplace culture that aggressively deters smartphone distraction.
Mr. Mercier’s webinar will present an organizational change model that will assist companies in mitigating the risks that smartphone distracted employees pose. He will cover how smartphone addiction occurs, how it affects employees, how it puts them at far greater risk for accidents during work, how this puts the safety of themselves and others at risk, and how this, therefore, puts the entire company and their livelihood at risk. He then will walk through each step in the process of organizational change, from analyzing how smartphone distraction impacts the organization, developing a plan to address it, implementing the plan, designing enforcement mechanisms, artificial intelligence and other digital tools that can be used to enforce smartphone distraction policies in the workplace and in fleet vehicles, employee training, the reinforcement of these new values, benchmarking and monitoring success, and modifying the plan where necessary.
Michael Mercier
Founder & President, Screen Education
Michael Mercier is Founder and President of Screen Education, which conducts research, and provides training and consulting services, on the impact of information technology on human wellness.
Mr. Mercier has conducted 18 research studies on digital addiction with teens, college students, summer campers, parents, Millennials, and full-time employees. His research has examined the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical consequences of digital addiction, as well as its impact on academic performance and workplace productivity and safety. He also has studied the benefits people derive from digital detoxes. He has spoken on smartphone addiction to schools, corporate audiences, colleges and summer camps, as well as at numerous conferences. He has been interviewed on a variety of radio and television shows. He holds a BA in Psychology from Vassar College, an MBA in Marketing from the University of Michigan, and an MS in MIS from the University of Cincinnati.
Sponsor Info
Overmyer Hall Associates is a leading property and casualty insurance agency based in Central Ohio. The agency has built a dynamic team of expert advisors upon a community-involved and family-owned environment. OHA’s dedicated construction team uniquely understands construction as an intricate system and provides a consultative approach to construction insurance, risk management, and surety needs.