Web addiction on the rise in UK

Many Britons think that the internet is more important than religion and exercise, according to a new study which shows that internet addiction is growing in the UK.

According to the poll, 44 per cent of people living in Britain feel "stressed or confused" when they can't access their internet connections.

The authors of the study have dubbed this anxious feeling of not being connected to the net as a condition which they call 'discomgoogolation'.

"The proliferation of broadband has meant for the first time in history we've entered a culture of instant answers," said psychologist Dr David Lewis, who monitored heart rates and brainwave activity to identify the condition.

"A galaxy of information is just a mouse click away and we have become addicted to the web. When unable to get online, discomgoogolation takes over," Dr Lewis added.

The study, carried out by pollsters YouGov, also revealed that 34 per cent of Britons would choose the internet access over exercise for a month and 20 per cent say they pay the internet more attention than their partner. This figure rose to 27 per cent for people living in London.

More than half polled, 54 per cent, found that loss of internet in their home singularly more stressful than loss of gas, water or electricity.

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www.yougov.com