People 'get anxious when cut off from Internet, cell phones'

Researchers have found 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.
The study, undertaken for Virgin Media by the analysts Future Laboratory, is based on a survey.
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.
The results indicated that 36 per cent of people were anxious about keeping in touch with their family if they were disconnected, compared with just 29 per cent who felt they're liberated, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.
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.

"These people know that, the modern world waits for no one and that taking a break from technology means potentially missing out. 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," psychologist James Brook was quoted as saying.
Moreover, full-time parents are the most likely group to be connected with just under half 49 per cent continually having the digital television switched on. They are also the most frequent users of mobile phones, the survey found.
Siobhan Freegard, co-founder of online parenting network Netmums, said: "Particularly for new mums, you are confined to the house for quite long periods, and it really is a link to the outside world."