Nomophobia – the irrational fear of being out of mobile phone contact. When I found this little gem of information while researching this column, I’ll admit I just had to laugh. The sad part is, I know several people who probably suffer from this debilitating affliction. Cell service goes down, whether for five minutes, five hours or five days, and it’s as if the entire world has come to a tragic end for these poor souls. What I found even more humorous – there’s actually a website devoted to the treatment of nomophobia, for those seeking information on how to deal with this particular anxiety disorder.

I guess you could say that I’m a touch old-fashioned when it comes to cell phones (and modern technology in general, I suppose). Ten years ago I was adamant I’d never own one of the damn things. In my mind, I just didn’t see the point, a land-line was just fine with me. If I wasn’t home it was no big deal, that’s what answering machines are for. In addition, I simply didn’t like the idea that people could reach me at any time of day, no matter where I was or what I might be doing. It almost seemed too intrusive in some way.