Some 48 percent of technology users usually need help from others to set up new devices or to show them how they function, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. According to the report, 44 percent of those with home Internet access say their connection failed to work properly at some time in the previous 12 months; 39 percent of those with desktop or laptop computers have had their machines not work properly at some time in the previous 12 months, and 29 percent of cell phone users say their device failed to work properly at some time in the previous year. "In an age in which new technologies are introduced almost daily, a new gadget or service can become popular well before the technology itself is understood by the average user," said Sydney Jones, co-author of the report. "Naturally, some users catch on to new technology more quickly than others, and those who have more trouble grasping the technology are left confused, discouraged, and reliant on help from others when their technology fails." Adults who are most likely to be impatient to fix their devices are those who had the most devices fail, those who use their devices most, and those who rely more heavily on their devices for work or information, according to the report.
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From Wednesday, December 3, 2008 C.A.R. Newsline

Reprinted with permission of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®