About a year ago, the Oxygen Media Insights Group, reported that a majority of women who use social networking sites say they are to them. Nearly 60% of the women polled said they are more likely to connect with people online than they are to talk with them face to face. And nearly 40% called themselves "Facebook addicts."

In the recent Intersperience study, 40% of those surveyed said they feel "lonely" when they aren't able to email or text.

However, not everyone reported being so tied to their digital lives. The survey showed that 23% of respondents said they would feel "free" if they were disconnected from online activities.

Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld. Follow Sharon on Twitter at or subscribe to . Her e-mail address is .

in Computerworld's Web 2.0 and Web Apps Topic Center.