Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush, or your Laptop!

The rain falls relentlessly from the sky, the shops are full of winter clothes and umbrellas, the mood of the country is sombre and chilly. The UK summer holiday season must be here!

It’s time to leave the grey, and wet, atmosphere and search further afield for our two weeks in the Costa del cheap, and it seems – like most things these days – we will be emulating our American cousins.

Yes Joe Bloggs holiday goer will soon be packing a bit of technical kit, along with his polyester hawaian shirt, and open toed sandals before jetting off.

According to a poll conducted by Harris Interactive, and commissioned by Intel, 2,022 US citizens were asked about taking a laptop on holiday with them.
A staggering third could not be parted from their little silicone buddies for even the shortest of breaks. So what do people use their wireless Centrino or Turion notebooks for on the beach?

We all know that the modern laptop is a master of many trades but it seems that the ubiquitous E-mail takes centre stage, with 72% of the respondents saying that was why they jumped into cyberspace rather than the inviting azure splendour of the ocean. 43% of notebook addicted pollsters, also admitted that they wanted to check their work email while on holiday, and that was the primary driving factor in packing the PC.

After that 56% wanted to watch movies and listen to music.

Is this what we have come to in the 21st Century?

In another Harris poll, it was reported that the number of U.S. adults who have ventured online to look for health or medical information (Harris refers to them as “cyberchondriacs”) has increased to approximately 117 million up from around 111 million last year.

No wonder so many folks are feeling ill, with cell phones and laptops along for the ride we never get a chance to escape from the office.

Take some healthy advice, leave the laptop at home, smell the roses and just try and switch off.

Cyberspace will seem all the richer when you step back in.