The poll found that 53 per cent of Britons feel upset when denied access to the internet and that 40 per cent experience loneliness when not able to go online.
The study, conducted by Intersperience, a consumer research company, questioned more than 1,000 people aged 18 to over 65 about their digital lives, including their attitudes and use of the internet, smartphones and other connected devices.
The participants were challenged to go one full day without using any technology. Giving up all technology was described by some as hard as quitting smoking or drinking. One survey participant described it like “having my hand chopped off”. As significant number of people cheated by switching on the TV or radio as they no longer viewed that as technology.
Younger people found it harder to give up technology, while often the over-40s coped better.
Forty per cent of those polled said they felt lonely when not engaging in internet-based activities
Only a minority of those surveyed (23 per cent) reacted positively to the prospect of being disconnected, saying they would feel “free”.
Paul Hudson, chief executive of Intersperience said: “Online and digital technology is increasingly pervasive. Our ‘Digital Selves’ research shows how just dominant a role it now assumes, influencing our friendships, the way we communicate, the fabric of our family life, our work lives, our purchasing habits and our dealings with organisations.”
Recent research from Cambridge University indicates that a third of people have felt overwhelmed by technology – but children still prefer face-to-face communication.
The eight-month research project, which also examined other countries, found that while Britons overwhelmingly viewed new technology such as mobile phones and social networks as a positive thing, 38 per cent of 10-14 year olds felt that too much of it could be upsetting; 34 per cent of 25-34 reported feeling similarly.
Young people, however, did not say that they favoured digital communication over face-to-face. While 65 per cent of adults said they preferred communicating in person, the same was also true for 64 per cent of children.
By Emma Barnett taken from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8653114/Majority-of-Britons-feel-deprived-without-internet-connection.html
Paul Hudson, chief executive of Intersperience said: “Online and digital technology is increasingly pervasive. Our ‘Digital Selves’ research shows how just dominant a role it now assumes, influencing our friendships, the way we communicate, the fabric of our family life, our work lives, our purchasing habits and our dealings with organisations.”
Recent research from Cambridge University indicates that a third of people have felt overwhelmed by technology – but children still prefer face-to-face communication.
The eight-month research project, which also examined other countries, found that while Britons overwhelmingly viewed new technology such as mobile phones and social networks as a positive thing, 38 per cent of 10-14 year olds felt that too much of it could be upsetting; 34 per cent of 25-34 reported feeling similarly.
Young people, however, did not say that they favoured digital communication over face-to-face. While 65 per cent of adults said they preferred communicating in person, the same was also true for 64 per cent of children.
By Emma Barnett taken from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8653114/Majority-of-Britons-feel-deprived-without-internet-connection.html
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