PRmoment Awards Shortlist 2024 PRmoment Leaders PA Mediapoint PRCA

The most common PR addictions, from Hacked Off

I may have an irritating personality, but thank heavens I do not have an addictive one. I have never been a slave to alcohol, drugs or gambling for which I am eternally grateful.

However, I confess that I can’t bear to be apart from my mobile, an addiction which nearly everyone in PR seems to share with me.

Here are a few other addictions I have noticed in this line of work.

Facebook

I continue to pray we're all going to get over Facebook. Why does our intern take a picture every five minutes to paste on Facebook or Twitter? I like pictures of cats as much as the next person, but her cat is the dullest feline I’ve ever seen. All it does is sleep, which I imagine is what her Facebook friends want to do every time she posts an update.

Coffee

I think this is getting out of hand in our office. It's like coffee brand wars - for me if you're a costa buyer, you're poor! I'm a loyal Starbucks establishment type. Be wary though, last week I had a flicking eyelid. A quick google search suggested this was brought on by too much caffeine.

Fags

Do you think more or less people in PR are addicted to this evil weed than in other professions? I think it must be more, because none of the people I mix with who don’t work in PR seem to smoke. I reckon it’s because PROs know that hanging out with smokers is the best way to get the latest gossip.

Drink

I still say the dude in the corner drinking iced water is the coolest guy in the bar - but not many people agree with me! It still seems more socially acceptable at events to drink a lot than to drink nothing at all.

Exercise

This is supposed to be a good addiction. But the triathlon nut in our office is a) always training so unavailable for any evening work; and b) really dull.

Drugs

Obviously no one in PR ever takes drugs, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have to work with other people* who indulge, which can be embarrassing for both sides.

* Journalists of course, I’m not bad-mouthing celebrities.

If you enjoyed this article, sign up for free to our twice weekly editorial alert.

We have six email alerts in total - covering ESG, internal comms, PR jobs and events. Enter your email address below to find out more: