Twenty years ago when you disembarked from a flight many people instantly reached for a cigarette. The moves were almost choreographed as pockets and bags would be rummaged and small flames appeared. Today it’s mobile devices. As soon as the announcement is made that mobile devises may be turned on there is a flurry of activity. It’s only been a couple of hours since the phone was last checked, yet the appetite for any update is addictive.

If you want to scare a young people (and plenty of older ones too) put the following scenario to them: “You’re mobile devise and PC will be taken away for one week. That means no email, text or Facebook. What do you think?” There’s a moment or two of stunned silence while they contemplate the idea before responding with impassioned negativity. They turn pale and their eyes fill with fear.

Not being connected to the world is highly discomforting. The mobile is not just an accessory that will be taken from them but a fifth limb that is being amputated. They feel lost without it.

The reasoning against my proposal is layered. The first volley of answers raises practical issues, like needing email and Facebook to organise their life.

Then there’s the need to keep up. Ignoring their email accounts for a few days and the inbox is overflowing. And people expect to be answered and within a very short space of time. As for Facebook, just contemplate how much they will have to catch up on. They will be left too far behind. They won’t be up to date with the gossip.

At its core living without their mobile leaves them feeling alone and abandoned. Being communicated with means they are not alone, that their circle-of-care or community is there. A young woman who lives on her own explained that sometimes when she is alone at home and the space feels rather empty she will send out the same text message to several people: “I’ll usually shoot it out to about four or five people hoping that one or two will get back to me. Every time you pick up your phone you look at it, you’re hoping that there’s a message, that someone’s thought of you.”

Another explained her panic when no messages came through for a period of time. “There were no messages that came through and I thought that was really weird. That was the feeling before I realised that there was a technical problem with my carrier. It was a void, it really was, I actually felt quite alone and I thought ‘no one’s out there, where is everyone, what’s happening.’ It was like almost 24 hours without anything coming through and it wasn’t good.”

When the phone beeps to indicate a text or the PC chimes in with a new email having arrived they light up. Someone wants me. When they post on Facebook they are looking out for responsive comments and likes.

That’s a key problem for brands playing in this area, by the way. One moment the recipient of the text is feeling popular and thought off and the next they are disappointed that it’s only some corporation flogging something.

There’s a partial antidote in the works. An emerging trend of switching off and feeling liberated for a while. But that’s a topic for another blog post.