Disconnect Anxiety

What Does Disconnect Anxiety Mean?

Disconnect anxiety is a feeling of discomfort that occurs when a heavy Internet user is unable to access the online world. The disconnect may be a result of a network outage, a trip to an area with no wireless coverage or a concerted effort to reduce the amount of time being spent online. The level of disconnect anxiety can range from mild discomfort to outright panic.

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Techopedia Explains Disconnect Anxiety

Because we often depend on the Internet to store important information like schedules, banking information, work-related documents and so on, being disconnected unexpectedly can leave people feeling justifiably lost. Whether through a mobile device like a smartphone or at home on a computer, people are spending more time online, and becoming increasingly dependent on the Internet for information. Not being able to check news feeds, weather, email, friends’ statuses, bank balances, work queues, etc., is upsetting when a person is used to having that information constantly available. Generally speaking, the more connected a person is, the more strongly he or she will feel disconnect anxiety.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…