A World Travel Market 2011 Industry Report revealed that half of UK holiday makers are ignoring their smartphones while away with roaming charges cited as the main reason for not using them.

But it seems no one told the Brits I met while travelling to Boston with BA on Saturday. My comrades were frantically typing text messages and making quick calls right up until we were actually up in the air. And during the short flight (Boston has the quickest flying time to the US), I could have sworn I heard the odd, tell tale beep.

On landing, you would think that everyone would be eagerly looking out the window savouring their first sight of Boston, but no. As the seatbelt sign went off, there was a mad scramble for mobiles and a cornucopia of blings and beeps could be heard as a flurry of text messages came through.

It was then that it hit me: we have lost the ability to NOT use our phones, even when we shouldn’t be. Don’t get me wrong: I am not urging everyone to throw away their smartphones for they have undoubtedly revolutionized our lives. Make no mistake: being able to access our emails on the bus or in bed rather than simply from the office) can be a blessing. However on the flip side it can also be a burden making it hard to achieve peace of mind or a sensible work/life balance. My message? We need to remember that our smartphones are just that – phones.

But what do you think? Are we becoming addicted to technology, even when travelling, or it it just my bete noir?!