Look around you. Are you in a public place? If you're reading this and there are folks around you, what are they doing? Are they chatting to their friends, are they reading a book? or are they hunched over their digital device being 'productive' on their way to work?
Chances are, if you're on a train, bus, or other communal place, able to receive 3G or Wi-Fi, then folks will be connected to their devices like a drowning man hangs on to a lifebelt. We depend on our connectivity, and heck we miss it when it's not available whenever we want it to be. Are we all addicted to the Internet, to being connected, to being online?
You might be addicted to the internet, but don't worry, you're not alone. Between 5% and 10% of Web surfers suffer a Web dependency and it can alter the way your brain is wired. It has been also theorised that these changes reflect learning-type cognitive optimizations for using computers more efficiently, but also impaired short-term memory and decision-making abilities. Does all of this IT make you happy?
The Advanced workplace blog speculates we're addicted to, and in fact enslaved by our mobile devices
But it's possible to take a break from your PC, a holiday without your phone. It's possible to manage without connectivity for a few days. Try to step away from your computer. The Internet will still be here when you return
Image credit: Xkcd