Over a third of Americans abuse their PC

Posted on Wednesday, July 31 2013 @ 11:54 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
X-bit Labs reports a study conducted on behalf of memory maker Crucial found that over a third of Americans physically or verbally abuse their PC.
According to a nationwide online survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Crucial.com in June 2013 among over 2000 U.S. adults, 36% of those Americans who experienced computer problems in the past 6 months admit that at some point in the last six months, they have lashed out at their slow, underperforming computers by using profanity, screaming and shouting, or by striking it with a fist or other object. In addition to the verbal and physical abuse, those who experienced computer problems also indicated that computer problems have taken an emotional toll on them by eliciting feelings of frustration (65%), anger (10%), helplessness (10%), and victimization (4%).

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When asked who or what is most to blame for their computer problems, nearly half of adults (46%) cited viruses or malware, 16% said they were not sure what the cause was, 12% of adults blamed themselves for their computer mishaps, 10% pointed to installed software, and 8% suspected insufficient memory (RAM) as the prime culprit.

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When compared to those aged 35 and over, young adults (aged 18-34) 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 18-34 year olds admitting to having cried at some point in the past 6 months as a result of their computer problems, compared to only 2% of those 35 and over.


About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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