Background
With the availability of mobile smart devices, many adolescents have developed the habit of being online and connected with other users almost all the time.
Objective
The aim of this paper is to provide a definition of being permanently online (PO) and permanently connected (PC) and to explore students’ current PO/PC behaviors.
Methods
An online survey was conducted with 178 university students in Germany to explore the intensity of their PO/PC behaviors in various social situations, the differences in being PO and being PC, students’ feelings about a possible loss of Internet access, and their online responding behaviors.
Conclusion
This exploratory study demonstrates the relevance of the concepts of being PO and PC to students, and points out further research gaps.