Wired generation gets nightmare when disconnected

LONDON, UK: Would you prefer going out for a long trip without your mobile phone or any other gadgets needed for connectivity? If the answer is 'no', that validates the result of a new study, which says that staying in a place with no mobile phone coverage, or suffering from the Internet going down, is a cause of high stress and anxiety for an increasing number of people.

According to the study, undertaken for Virgin Media by the analysts firm Future Laboratory, as many as 85 per cent of full-time mothers always have the Internet turned on at home, while a third of people said they no longer felt any sense of guilt about always being "connected" either by having their mobile phone or computer turned on, the survey found as reported by The Daily Telegraph, London.

“At any time we might miss an important email or a phone call, an old friend may try to get in touch via Facebook or breaking news may come in. If they feel that they cannot keep up with these things because they are not connected, it will naturally have a negative impact on their emotional wellbeing and peace of mind,” James Brook, a psychologist, was quoted as saying.

Thirty-six per cent of people under study were anxious about keeping in touch with their family if they were disconnected, compared with just 29 per cent who felt they're liberated.

When it came to work 29 per cent cent said they were anxious when cut off, compared with 28 per cent saying they felt liberated.

The study indicates that full-time parents are the most likely group to be connected with 49 per cent continually having the digital television switched on. It may be because parenting involves a lot of care and concerns as they always need to be connected to their children away at schools or any places of that sort.