Partial Verizon Wireless outage reveals tech dependency


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SALT LAKE CITY — The Verizon wireless outage yesterday showed many Utahns just how dependent we've become on technology. After the panic subsided, a few people shared some lessons learned, like going "old school" and writing numbers down in case their wireless service goes out again.

These days, everyone is on a cell phone or some sort of mobile device. When the wireless service went out Sunday, the anxiety piqued.

"I was just trying to send a text message to my friend, but it just wouldn't send," said customer Richard Mortensen. "I tried to re-send it and re-send it. And re-send it. It just wouldn't send."

Mortensen said he can't live without his cell phone, and that it would be a big problem for him if the service was still out.

Verizon wireless customers told KSL their service was back to normal Monday, at least for some, while it remained spotty for others.

Bibiana Gomez of Salt Lake City had the same problem with her service. She was unable to use Google Maps to guide her on a trip out to the lake.

Gomez said Verizon customer service told her the company was having problems with the cell tower.

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"But they just pretty much didn't give us a way to resolve it," she said. "Just to wait it out."

A verizon public relations representative did not return calls seeking comment.

Verizon's official website and Facebook page have comments from Salt Lake Customers asking what happened, with no reply.

One thing many discovered is something clinical psychologist Dr. Liz Hale calls tech dependency.

Hale said that dependency can be a substitute for intimacy, which isn't healthy. "When there really isn't the real thing, that deeper connection or relationship, suddenly we panic if we don't have that intimate system going," she said. .

Hale also recommends having a "time-out" from your tech devices. She calls it a "No Tech Zone," a way to touch more, type less and build more intimate relationships.

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