Lawmakers acknowledge new addiction: their BlackBerrys

The average age of House members at the start of the 111th Congress was 57 years old — 63 in the Senate — making it the grayest on record. But many grandmothers and grandfathers on Capitol Hill are adept with BlackBerrys, Facebook, Twitter and other popular modes of electronic communication. Lawmakers say they use their smartphones for nearly every part of their daily routines — maintaining calendars, finding driving directions and keeping tabs on their employees. For many members, their BlackBerrys allow them to stay in touch even when they're out of reach.