Feel stressed when you can't get online? It's high time that you consult a doctor, for a study suggests that you could be suffering from "discomgoogolation".

According to psychologists, "discomgoogolation" is a feeling of distress or anxiety when unable to gain immediate information access -- in fact, the condition could up brain activity and blood pressure level.

In their study, they have found that the stress of being disconnected is equivalent to that of running half-an- hour late for a key meeting, being about to sit an important exam or, in the worst cases, being sacked.

"The proliferation of broadband has meant that for the first time in history we have entered a culture of 'instant answers' 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. It was surprising to see the stress this led to in brain activity and blood pressure in participants. It seems to be especially stressful for people when they are out and about. They often need to make many short-notice decisions at this time but feel they are doing so without the full information the internet usually gives them," David Lewis, who led the study team, was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying.

For their study, the psychologists analysed a survey of a group of 2,000 net users. When stress levels of the participants were measured with heart and brain monitors, the team found men to be most stressed when denied access to the net in the evenings while women suffer when they cannot get online during the day.

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