The survey in question – conducted by Harris Interactive back in June on behalf of computer memory upgrade provider Crucial.com – found that 36% of some 1,816 U.S. adult computer users who experienced computer problems within the last six months admit they resorted to using profanity, screaming and shouting, or by striking their machine with a fist or other object.
In addition to verbal and physical abuse, those who experienced computer problems also indicated said problems are taking an “emotional toll” as well by eliciting feelings of frustration (65%), anger (10%), helplessness (10%), and victimization (4%).
“We’ve become so dependent on our computers and think of them as helpful partners, making it that much more painful when they betray us at the worst possible time,” noted Roddy McLean, Crucial.com’s e-Commerce marketing manager, in commentary upon the survey results.
I am also sure more than a few truckers out there can sympathize with such findings, as having a laptop or smart phone go on the blink whilst hundreds of miles from dispatch and home can be frustrating beyond belief.
The survey also found that, when compared to those aged 35 and over, young adults aged 18 to 34 seemed more apt to resort to abusive behavior such as cursing (39% vs. 25%), screaming (29% vs. 12%) or hitting it with their fist (12% vs. 2%) as a result of frustration and anger caused by their computer not meeting expectations.
Young adults also outpaced all others when it came to crying, with 7% of 18 to 34 year olds admitting to having cried at some point in the past six months as a result of their computer problems, compared to only 2% of those 35 and over. [Folks actually ADMITTED to crying over PC issues? Me, I’d keep that quiet!]
Here’s another interesting factoid gleaned from Crucial’s survey: When asked who or what is most to blame for their computer problems, nearly half of adults polled who experienced PC mishaps (46%) cited viruses or malware, 16% said they were not sure what the cause was, 12% blamed themselves for their computer mishaps, 10% pointed to installed software, and 8% suspected insufficient memory (RAM) as the prime culprit.
McLean noted, though, that it is often a lack of sufficient memory that is the real cause of computer problems for most users.
“Many are quick to blame viruses or malware as the likely cause for a computer that has become sluggish and unresponsive, but many times the problems are simply due to not having enough internal memory,” he said.
Well, that’s something to consider if you find yourself tangling with a computer problem out on the road.
