Can you handle a week without the internet?
For many, the answer to this question is no. The internet, it seems, has truly become an indispensable part of everyday life.
The University of Utrecht and advertising agency, Ara Advertising in the Netherlands, recently conducted a qualitative research study which saw sixteen participants deny themselves of internet access for an entire week.
In the videos filmed by each of the participants before, during and after the study, we catch a glimpse of their struggle to go about their daily lives without the lifestyle and communication tools provided by the internet, which they had come to take for granted.
They talked about feeling "cut off from the world" and "frustrated" during their week offline. One found himself literally feeling lost without his smartphone as he didn't have access to Google Maps!
Check this short video out to see what else they had to say...