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Feel discouraged or aggravated when your home Internet connection goes on the blink or your cell phone fritzes out, and you don’t know what to do?
Take heart, you’re not alone, according to a new survey, "When Technology Fails," from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which says that many consumers find it difficult to set up devices, are frustrated when technology breaks down and often need help from someone else to fix the problem.
“These findings are a signal to the designers of information technology that they have to do a better job of making these gadgets more user-friendly to segments of the population that don’t eat and breathe technology,” said John Horrigan, Pew’s associate director for research.
Indeed, although many Americans households now have more than one computer, and cell phones continue to replace landlines in many homes, tech mass does not equal tech comfort. Bad technology can and does happen to good people.
A range of emotions
Because we’ve become so reliant on technology — more information is only available on the Internet, e-mail access has become vital, cell phones are crucial, and computers are important for Web access as well as playing games — our collective skins are thinner when any one of these devices or the services needed to run them is out of whack, as evidenced by the Pew study.
“Regardless of whether respondents had their computers, cell phones or Internet connections fail, they were equally likely to feel discouraged, confused, confident or impatient during the course of trying to fix the problem,” the study says.
Confident? Yes. Of the 2,054 adults surveyed, 72 percent said when their devices were down or broken, they felt confident that they were “on the right path to solving the problem.”
But there were other emotions, too, and they likely came two, three and four hours after “confidence” had evaporated: 59 percent said they were impatient trying to fix the problem; 48 percent said they were discouraged at the amount of effort it took; and 40 percent said they were confused by the information they were getting about how to solve the problem.
Among Pew’s findings:
“Those who had their computers fail most recently were equally likely to fix it themselves as they were to contact user support for help,” says the Pew study.
Not a surprise there, perhaps, because dealing with customer support sometimes can be more frustrating the tech problem itself.
Customer support is “oftentimes a lengthy process to go through, just to get to the point where you can really start addressing the problem,” said Horrigan. “So feelings like impatience and discouragement can certainly kick in.”
And that can mean a throwing-in-of-the-towel by those who can benefit greatly from technology — not just über-geeks or gadget freaks, but those who need to know and use tech every day.
It was this rather large group of people Pew identified 18 months ago in another study about different types of tech users.
“Fully half of adults have a more distant or non-existent relationship to modern information technology,” that study said. “Some of this diffidence is driven by people’s concerns about information overload; some is related to people’s sense that their gadgets have more capacity than users can master.”
The findings begged for a follow-up, Horrigan said. “We wanted to really probe, what’s going on with people who have a difficult time coping with the gadgets and services they have.”
'Still some progress to be made'
The problem is, in part, problems tied to the most necessary gadgets and services. More than half of adult Americans have high-speed Internet connections at home now, Pew said recently. Having 44 percent of tech users say they experienced some kind of failure with those connections during a 12-month period is troubling.
“It says there’s still some progress to be made in terms of keeping that home broadband connection running with the same sort of seamlessness that we expect from electricity, or even just the TV when we turn it on,” said Horrigan.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Pew also found that “younger users are generally much more optimistic than older adults when their gadgets fail.”
The breakdown: 85 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds “reported being confident about solving their device problem,” compared to 67 percent of those age 30 and older.
When it comes to cell phones, those in the 18- to 49-year-old age groups also reported more problems with their devices than older adults, Pew said.
That’s probably because “younger people are much more likely to make the majority of their phone calls on cell phones,” Horrigan said. “Plus, they’re more likely to get cell phones with a greater number of features (such as Web and e-mail) that might have failures.”
Cell phone: Teens' choice
Pew’s study comes on the heels of two others, one from the Consumer Electronics Association, and another done by the Opinion Research Corp. for Sprint.
The Consumer Electronics Association, an industry trade group, said that 25 percent of teenagers ages 12 to 17 say they plan to buy a new cell phone within the next six months, “making it teens’ most popular consumer electronic product."
Steve Kidera of CEA said that 600 teenagers were queried online about their tech activities and habits.
Seventy percent of teens use their cell phones for texting, as well as for taking videos, watching videos and listening to music, CEA said in a press release.
“Based on teens’ current cell phone usage and interest in more advanced features, growth can be expected in teen ownership of smartphones,” such as the BlackBerry, iPhone or Treo, which have e-mail and Web access, CEA said.
Meanwhile, Opinion Research Corp. polled 2,010 adults about the use of text messaging and e-mail on their cell phones. Both features are important revenue sources for wireless carriers like Sprint.
More than half of those under age 30 use e-mail on their cell phones, Sprint said in a press release. But, “While people clearly understand the value of having e-mail access on their mobile device, we’ve found they also perceive it as one of the most difficult functions to use,” said Kim Dixon, Sprint’s senior vice president of retail.
So, there’s work to be done just about everywhere. Sprint, of course, is promoting its “Ready Now” free service to help customers get more comfortable with the technology they buy. And, considering Pew’s findings, it’s not a bad idea.
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 | Gadget survey finds many bugs can't be fixed | Associated Press | Sun Nov 16 | 0 |
- Public Discussion (13)
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has on the current conversation.
The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd
row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera).
Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group
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Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the
number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative
one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their
relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.
0.7
0.4
{"commentId":4093911,"authorDomain":"indigoGUARD"}
{"commentId":4093944,"authorDomain":"indigoGUARD"}
{"commentId":4094298,"authorDomain":"joegingras331"}
when i made my last computer purchase at best buy store, i was assured by the salesperson that i needed extra security crap that would only cost additional 100.00 to 200.00 dollars.
my shock came later when i read on the monitor that the security crap needed to be updated every year.
every now and then i will see a essage flash to update my computer; this is annoying as unwanted advertizements that pop up.
unsubscribing to an e-mail is also fun -- they keep coming back; just like unwanted phone solicitations calls at supper time.
need help with your computer -- call h p customer service !
when they answer ( they eventually will ), try to understand the the customer service rep. with the foreign accent speaking broken english.
if you can't bridge the language gap, call again and get another country; however, the same accent will be heard. it seems the same man from india sounds exactly like the rep in other countries.
in conclusion:
i hope hp goes bankrupt.
{"commentId":4094298,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"joegingras331"}
#3 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 10:05 AM EST{"commentId":4094344,"authorDomain":"aloneinblo"}
I see. So, the solution is to dumb-down the technology because people either refuse to read the instructions or are too ignorant to comprehend them? Certainly. Lets reduce society to the least common denominator. Soon we'll all be giving speeches like George W Bush and our computers will be nothing more than glorified Fisher-Price versions of a once useful device.
No, I'm not some punk kid. I'm in my 30's, and I'm intelligent. Either learn how to use the stuff, or don't buy it. It's that easy. No one said you HAD to buy a computer, or a cell phone, or anything else. This is America, you are free to live in the stone age if you so choose.
{"commentId":4094344,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"aloneinblo"}
#4 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 10:09 AM EST{"commentId":4097348,"authorDomain":"magnolia504"}
Rather harsh, aren't you? So what happens when the instruction manual doesn't address a problem, customer service and tech support don't have an answer, and the salesperson in the store doesn't have a clue? Who is left to ask? Maybe you, since you're so intelligent.
{"commentId":4097348,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"magnolia504"}
{"commentId":4094400,"authorDomain":"bitscolumn"}
The "machines" or devices have taken over society to the point where we are having a hard time repairing - let alone fully understanding - how to operate them anymore it seems.
This has the makings of a great sci-fi movie! ;p
{"commentId":4094400,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"bitscolumn"}
#5 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 10:15 AM EST{"commentId":4095194,"authorDomain":"tom-sorteberg"}
I agree that the user "friendlinest" needs to be improved all across the board. As I work in Tech Support, I deal with end-users on a daily basis as well as friends and family members. I think part of the problem is that there is so much competition in this industry that engineers and designers do not have adaquate time to prepare for every possible problem that may occur with new technology. I think that I can speak on the behalf of everyone that most problems are "software" related, which has to be constantly updated and patched to fix problems and provide more features. The bottome line; however, is that end users need to recognize the future trends and understand that technology is going to be more complicated in the future. If you want to reap the benifits of using advanced technology, you are going to have to learn how to use it. If manufacturers could provide better documentation and tutorials on how to use technology, I think that it would help out new users immensley when using new technology. Furthermore, new users need to take a more proactive approach and they will have to spend some time and effort to learn the technology if they wish to use it properly. From my experience, the individuals that do not understand the technology and do not have the patience to learn how to use it usually did not need it in the first place...
{"commentId":4095194,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"tom-sorteberg"}
#6 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:26 AM EST{"commentId":4095434,"authorDomain":"sschmeiser"}
I have owned a computer since 1981. Since I "upgraded" to a new system shortly after Microsoft Vista came out, I have been unable to dependably carry out the most basic of activities with confidence -- surf the net, send and receive emails, operate a printer, run PC based software. The arrogant monopoly that insists we purchase a new OS every two to three years cannot fix my problems and will not sell and support the old OS (XP) as a replacement. If my computer were an automobile or a pharmaceutical, I would have been killed by now.
Don't tell us that, because we are not trained as software engineers, we are the problem. If you want to profit by selling your product to hundreds of millions of people, then make a product that hundreds of millions of people can use. And at the very least, make assistance readily available. I cannot help myself when I must get tech support on line when my computer is not operating, or I must speak over the phone with someone whom I cannot understand.
{"commentId":4095434,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"sschmeiser"}
- 1 vote
#7 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:46 AM EST{"commentId":4096814,"authorDomain":"suesey"}
aEvery time I down load a new version of browser or zone alarm etc. I end up spending months trying to fix the problems created. Just downloaded firefox 2.0.018 and now I can't get gmail. It just hangs up at loading point.
I always end up going back to the previous version.
Another time it was yahoo mail that I stopped getting when zone alarm changed version and for months could not get it.
I am still having problems with zone alarm every day for months now - in that it doesn't always load so every morning I go thru several shut down and restarts before zone alarm loads, it's been like this for several months and I just hate to have to use my computer and some days I just don't use it.
and now I can't get any gmail at all since last week when firefox updated to 2.0.0.18.
It is rediculous to have to live for months for problems
Problem is there is no way to communicate with anyone.
If it was an appliance, you would return it.
I am totally fed up with technology and I work in hi tech quality and reliability.
This is not Q and R. It is a joke! what the computer industry has been able to get away with.
There are so many people must be affected by gmail and firefox and zone alarm in the millions yet these companies don't check out their software on 3 browsers and what 3 biggest email systems before implementing them is ttotally unacceptable. Job half done every time.
{"commentId":4096814,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"suesey"}
#8 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:33 PM EST{"commentId":4099345,"authorDomain":"carad-1"}
I have built my career on people who use computers but don't seem to know how to read. 70% of most issues can be resolved by reading what the computer is trying to tell you. Then it also takes a little common sense to understand what is says. The other 30% takes a little bit more than reading but if they don't bother to read the majority of issues why should the 30% be any harder. I manage a 3rd level support organization for a major printer manufacturer. All the engineers who work on printer support issues have at least bachelors degrees. 96% of them are no better than the average Joe who buys a computer at BestBuy. I still can't get over how a engineer with a computer science degree needs a High school grad to fix their PC because they can't comprehend what they read when they take the time to read it. Simply amazing.
No matter how easy they make technology there will still be a majority who don't understand it. The majority of the Human race is lazy it is much easier to call tech support. They might even help you if they aren't based in India!
{"commentId":4099345,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"carad-1"}
#9 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:47 PM EST{"commentId":4116466,"authorDomain":"sarain"}
Good one! Yes, i've had computer problems, and i mostly fix it. One time i was on the phone with some tech guy in india, and i actually solved what i needed to do, but i didn't want to cut the guy off and tell him i'm done with him. So i let him continue. :)
But, i've been solving my own equipment handling since i was six, when i got my first Sega Genesis, i didn't want help to put it together. I looked at the manuel, and got to work. Plus being six, i tried to match the cords with the shapes on the game and tv that it might fit into. With enough tinkering, i got done with that and on to gaming! I'm 23 now, and i still do that stuff. Suffice to say, i can handle most of my own tech problems, but if it really is frusturating, then yeah, heellloooo tech support!
{"commentId":4116466,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"sarain"}
{"commentId":4107225,"authorDomain":"indigoGUARD"}
{"commentId":4108217,"authorDomain":"wcarlson"}
Cars and Computers
Not everyone knows how to work on a car. Not everyone knows how to perform the maintenance on their car. However, any responsible car owner knows that regular maintenance on their car is vital, and there will come a time when repairs are needed. Then what? You get assistance. Computers are the same way. If you can't function well enough on a computer to run anti-virus and spyware tools regularly, then you need to be able to pay someone to "change your oil" regularly or risk having a total system failure. We can wish it weren't so until we're all blue in the face. However, that's reality for us now (well, PC users at least). And when things break, you're going to have to seek greater help.
If I don't change the oil in my car, the engine blows up and my car doesn't run. If my car is ten years old at that point, I find myself on the market for a new car. You're computer is the same way. We need to get in the mindset of maintaining, paying for, and being responsible for our computers the same way.
{"commentId":4108217,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"wcarlson"}
#11 - Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:22 AM EST{"commentId":4113177,"authorDomain":"jeffwilson1011"}
I wanted to point out that in the case of Apple products (specifically iPods, iPhones, etc.), I was lucky enough to find someone to repair my broken iPod screen. RapidRepair sent me a preprinted FEDEX label to send my iPod to their facility, and had it diagnosed and repair in a couple of days. I literally had my iPod back in less than a week including shipping and receiving time. All of this for only $30, which is much cheaper than a new iPod.
I'd highly recommend rapidrepair.
{"commentId":4113177,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"jeffwilson1011"}
#12 - Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:52 PM EST{"commentId":4242973,"authorDomain":"kirk-3"}
I sleep with my laptop next to me in case I have a difficult night and need something to distract me. I am a chronic pain patient and it takes 20-30 minutes for the meds to work sometimes. My laptop needs repair and I've contacted the mfg (Asus) and also Best Buy. As soon as I figure out who will turn it around faster, I'll send it in for service. I am addicted to the Internet, and have given up watching TV as a result. I do read books from time to time, but mainly get my news from the Internet.
I am amazed at the amount of information that is available to us. It is up to US to filter the information and form our own opinions. Yes, the media is biased, but so am I! Use responsibly!
{"commentId":4242973,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"kirk-3"}
#13 - Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:58 PM EST{"commentId":5050614,"authorDomain":"toscanox60"}
People are basically stupid. Nuff said.
{"commentId":5050614,"threadId":"421323","contentId":"2120379","authorDomain":"toscanox60"}
#14 - Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:31 PM EST{"canLink":false,"threadId":"421323","isPrivate":false}
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