Why wi-fi on a plane is the worst idea ever.

We’re living in the midst of a hyper-connected epidemic; an era where being plugged into our devices 24/7 is creating real addiction issues.

And now our last refuge is about to be snatched rudely away from us. Yes, free Wi-Fi on planes will very soon become an everyday reality.

For all of its downsides, one of the biggest positives with air travel is the escapism it offers. Cut off from everything with nothing to do but relax, watch back-to-back movies and devour a bestseller — all the while sipping your way through a few G&Ts — flying affords real ‘me’ time. But this experience as we know it is coming to an end.

BEST FIRST QUESTION ON A PLANE EVER

HOW I GOT RIPPED OFF FLYING BUSINESS CLASS

SECRET CODES OF QANTAS FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

How connected do we really need to be?Source:istock

Last month Qantas switched on free in-flight Wi-Fi for customers travelling domestic on board its internet-capable Boeing 737-800. Reading the press release, my heart sank as it enthused about flyers staying “connected through email as well as social media, watch the latest YouTube clips or shop online.” Argh!

Of course, this is the latest in a trend that has been gaining momentum over the last few years. Currently Emirates, Air China, JetBlue, Norwegian and Hong Kong Airlines, are among the airlines that offer Wi-Fi for nix and Virgin Australia’s three month trial from April on its Boeing 737s.

It looks like this may sound the death knell for the sweet feeling I get from switching off my phone as the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign is switched on and an end to that instant hit of calm I get from swiping on ‘flight mode’ and feeling of bliss that comes from knowing you’re unreachable. Turns out, I’m not the only one who feels the same. A recent survey from finder.com.au showed that 44 per cent of respondents weren’t sold on the idea of in-air Wi-Fi either.

A sign of the times? Progress? A technical marvel? Undoubtedly. But Frankly, I don’t care. I’m almost positive that it’s something we’ll all come to regret. Don’t believe me? Here’s seven reasons why in-air Wi-Fi will ruin your flying experience.

IT TAKES AWAY VITAL ‘ME’ TIME

Flying is one of the only times you can literally sit back and do, well, absolutely nothing.

You can be alone with your thoughts, read — how often do you get time to work your way through a good book? — or can catch up on back-to-back episodes of your favourite TV show or work your way through all the blockbusters you missed at the cinema. All of this is completely guilt-free and paired with a cheeky beer or glass of vino and a dinner for one as a bonus. Nice, eh?

Enter Wi-Fi and your conscience will recall the mountain of unanswered work emails, followed by the temptation to add yet another cloud ‘look I’m flying’ pic to your Instagram and Snapchat accounts, and then an irrational need to see what you’ve missed on Facebook in the 30-minutes since you last checked. Plus, if you’re on a work trip, the advent of in-air Wi-Fi means that missing a work email or deadline because you’re travelling won’t be an excuse anymore.

Taking to the skies is no longer a holiday from your gadgets.Source:Supplied

IT CAN MAKE YOU ANXIOUS

Being plugged in 24/7 causes stress and anxiety. Fact. Various studies have shown that endless hours of screen time checking emails, social media accounts and the like can hard mental health and damage our interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships. So, being disconnected — even for a short amount of time — is highly beneficial. If you think about it objectively, it’s pretty terrifying that we’re at the point where we can’t even go a few hours without being connected.

Consider this scenario: you receive an email from your boss an hour or two into a 15-hour flight to LA, informing you that the proverbial has really hit the fan — and it’s all because of you! What can you really do about it? Worry, squirm and torture yourself for the remaining 14-hours while your mind conjures up the worst possible outcome and you squirm in your seat. No thanks.

THERE WILL BE PHONE CALLS — LOTS OF PHONE CALLS *SHUDDER*

You may be enthused with the idea of Wi-Fi on a plane, but consider this: Wi-Fi means the ability to make and receive phone calls.

Whether FaceTime-ing or WhatsApp calling, sitting next to a noisy talker whose conversation is so loud that even your Bose noise-cancelling headphones don't shield you for the duration of a long-haul will not be pleasant.

Whatever the subject matter of conversation — business talk, relationship breakdown or a general catch up — it’ll annoy the hell out of you. And while you may be considerate and polite and either forgo making calls altogether or keep a phone call short and at a minimum volume level, believe me other people won’t indulge in such social niceties.

I’m predicting incidents of air rage the like of which we’ve never seen. Air rage that will of course be captured on video and instantaneously shared from 40,000-feet via social media, resulting in mass media shaming and perhaps even criminal action when the plane touches down. Not a happy thought.

No time to unwind.Source:Supplied

GETTING SHUT-EYE WILL BE EVEN HARDER

See above. If the incessant message/Instagram/Twitter/Snapchat et cetera notification beeps from others, combined with the inane phone conversations, don’t keep you awake (if so, I hate and envy your capacity to sleep in equal measure) then the temptation to stay on top of your own social media and apps will. As we all know, those notifications just never seem to stop.

IT’LL GIVE YOU TOO MUCH CHOICE

More choice is better, right? Well, not necessarily. Personally — and this is dependant on the airline’s offering, obviously — I get bamboozled at the choice on offer with an existing on-board entertainment system. Now, throw into the mix Netflix, Stan, AppleTV, live streaming et al and you’re left positively bewildered with the volume of options. Studies conducted into the affects of having too much choice — whether it’s movies and TV shows or dishes on restaurant menu — paradoxically show that it can leave us anxious and less satisfied.

IT CAN ACTUALLY HINDER PRODUCTIVITY

Though touted as a big benefit to business travellers, having access to the internet can actually be counter-productive if you’re really trying to knuckle down and plough through some work.

I’m always amazed at how productive I am when I’m on a plane and there’s a simple reason for this: I’m not distracted by email notifications every few minutes or by the temptations of time-sapping YouTube and Wikipedia vortexes.

IT CAN MAKE YOU ENVIOUS

While you may be limited to how many exciting updates you can put on social media wedged in your aisle seat in economy, luckier flyers won’t be. Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat are the Green Eyed Monster’s preferred stomping ground, so expect your feeds to be cluttered with snaps of canapés in the first class lounge and ‘my flight is better than yours’ artfully posed pics of champagne flutes positioned next to business class flat-beds.

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