Around two-thirds of people in the UK love being connected to technology at all times, with 35 per cent experiencing less stress when online, a new Virgin Media survey has found.

However, many people suffer from extreme anxiety when cut off from the web and other forms of communication, it has been said.

Zara Rabinowicz, a technology expert at Stuff Magazine, explained that in the past, people worked with very traditional means when it came to keeping in touch, though things have changed so much that a return to older standards is simply too hard for some.

She explained: "You exist in a community where your neighbours may be strangers and you can often experience major loneliness in the middle of a crowd. Products like mobiles and laptops become lifelines to the outside world - whether it's a chat to your mum, or an update on a Facebook page."

Ms Rabinowicz added that technological withdrawal symptoms can, similar to panic demonstrated by those out of mobile range.

More than half of small businesses (53 per cent) believe that the most important benefit of outsourcing is guaranteed response times for IT support. London-based Connect conducted the research in 2007.