Phone addicts’ secrets revealed

MOBILE phone users can feel stressed and anxious if separated from their handsets for long periods, with 90% obsessed with checking their phones at least once an hour, a new survey reveals.

Virgin Mobile describes the condition as a new form of addiction.

In its survey of 2,000 people, four out of five respondents felt uneasy if their phone was out of reach for a prolonged period of time, while 84% said they never let their handsets out of sight. And one-in-seven users admitted suffering anxiety if separated from their mobile.