BT, a UK based telecommunications company, has reported that British travellers often find it difficult to take a holiday without checking their emails or social networking sites.
Research conducted by the company, which involved 2,000 respondents, has revealed that around 33 percent of them plan to check work emails or voicemails even when they are away on holiday. Around 41 percent of the respondents said that they log into their social networking accounts while on holiday, confirming that technology addicted British holidaymakers cannot resist the lure of their electronic devices, even when on vacation.
One in four respondents admitted that checking work emails annoys their families and friends, so they do it when they are not around. And while 39 percent of respondents who check their work emails on holidays feel responsible for staying in touch, around 28 percent said that they feared that they might miss out on important work updates if they did not.
Corinne Sweet, a celebrity psychologist, said, ‘Technology has improved our ability to keep in touch constantly, which is obviously a great thing. However, if you can’t stop yourself logging on or texting and it’s affecting your personal relationships, then you need to think twice.
Holidays should give you a chance to turn off and become aware of your behaviour. Try to spend a day offline and more time just hanging out with family and friends, or simply being alone. Holidays should be about recharging your own batteries, not just those of your laptop or smartphone.’
