Slow Computers, Spam, Pop-Ups And Viruses All Raise Stress Levels

from the time-for-some-computer-zen dept

Crashing computers, spam, pop-ups and viruses all increase the amount of stress in our lives, according to a new study (commissioned by Symantec, who of course is trying to use the results to sell more of their software). Many people are so frustrated with these annoyances, that they say these downsides outweigh the benefits of getting a computer. A very small percentage (14%) say that computer problems never bother them (I'm guessing these people don't actually use computers, but just think they do). Of course, it's interesting to look at the breakdown of annoyances. It makes you wonder why marketers would be so enthusiastic about pushing techniques (spam and popups) that most people say adds stress to their lives. Meanwhile, the number one method of dealing with computer problems appears to be to try to fix the problem ourselves - though, that often involves "swearing, shouting and even violence" along with pressing random keys to see if that does anything (other than induce more swearing, shouting and even violence).
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  • identicon
    Adam Jackson, 21 Oct 2003 @ 2:11pm

    a few more forms of advertising that i find stress

    RADIO and TELEVISION ADS are stressful to me.
    I use the google toolbar to block popup/under ads.
    I use TiVo to avoid TV ads.
    I listen to NPR to avoid radio ads.

    Almost all forms of advertising are stressful to many people. Why are marketers "so enthusiastic about pushing techniques"? Because they obviously work! TV commercials make money, just like spam and popups do! Same system, different medium.

    Crappy and irritating popup/under ads and spam are here to stay - it's up to the consumer to avoid them, just like with television. I can't imagine living without my TiVo. The ability to watch a half hour show in 21 minutes or skim through newscasts littered with anecdotal trash and commercials is simply invaluable.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    LittleW0lf, 21 Oct 2003 @ 3:28pm

    No problem here

    A very small percentage (14%) say that computer problems never bother them (I'm guessing these people don't actually use computers, but just think they do).

    I am a Computer Scientist, with years in government and civil computer use, an administrator of many machines, and I believe I am an "avid" computer user. Or atleast I suffer withdrawls whenever I am away from a computer for more than 30 minutes, in which I am not asleep.

    But I fall squarely into the 14%, as SPAM for the most part doesn't bother me (the spammers, on the other hand, bother me greatly as they are an example at what is wrong with the current, non-Darwinian system, as most of these folks wouldn't last the winter if nature was allowed to handle them.) And viruses don't bother me at all since I don't use Microsoft operating systems. Pop-ups aren't a problem either, for exactly the same reason (Mozilla), and slow computers...I used to have a problem with them when the difference between a 4 mHz machine and an 8 mHz machine was the difference between getting a cup of coffee, and getting a cup of coffee and returning for seconds. There isn't a computer on the planet being sold today that has this problem, as they all boot up within 15 seconds, even when running a Microsoft operating system.

    So apparently I am not a computer user. But then again, Joe Sixpack who uses his computer to browse pr0n is the only real computer user anyway.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      slowboot, 22 Oct 2003 @ 7:03am

      Re: No problem here

      > There isn't a computer on the planet being sold today that has this problem, as they all boot up within 15 seconds, even when running a Microsoft operating system.< br>
      I've got Pentium I systems in my lab running NT 4 that take a lot longer than 15 seconds to boot up. When you're installing security updates you really notice how long it takes to reboot a machine. You must be one of those people who gets a new PC every year regardless of whether you have any compelling reason to get a new one.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Oliver Wendell Jones, 22 Oct 2003 @ 7:56am

        Re: No problem here

        You must be one of those people who gets a new PC every year regardless of whether you have any compelling reason to get a new one.

        Geesh, you make it sound like that's a bad thing...

        link to this | view in chronology ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories
This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.