Do Your Gadgets Bring Out The Worst In You?

Saturday, Jun. 20 2009 | Author: Dora

dsc_0584_small Loud people on the phone in public (read: elevators, restaurants, buses, etc.) can be irritating. In fact, I have seen people stare at each other with knowing looks when someone suddenly starts talking on their phone as if they were the only person in the world. You probably have had at least the one experience similar to that which I just described.

But have you ever thought about how YOU behave when using your gadgets?

Intel recently carried out a survey that took a look into the behavior of people in relation to their gadgets. Steve Johnson of Mercury News writes:

Most of us dislike others yakking loudly on cell phones in stores, banging away on laptops during meetings or engaging in other peevish behavior with portable Internet-linked gadgets. But we’re far less likely to acknowledge such shortcomings of our own.

That is the gist of a survey of 2,160 adults made public Wednesday by Santa Clara chip maker Intel.

Interviewed in April by Harris Interactive on behalf of Intel, 90 percent of those surveyed said they were irked by some behavior involving various devices.

The most mentioned offense was typing on a cell phone, notebook or other mobile gizmo while driving a car. Of those queried, 72 percent listed that as an irritant.

The next biggest gripe, drawing the ire of 63 percent of respondents, was talking loudly on a device in a restaurant or other public place.
Other boorish behavior included using gadgets to discuss private matters in public spots, posting inappropriate content on social-networking sites and passing along jokes via mass e-mail distribution lists.

So that is a given. But how many of the respondents admitted to behaving in a similar manner?

But those surveyed did not admit to the same level of offenses. Just 38 percent admitted sometimes typing on their devices while in the company of others. And while 55 percent said they were bothered by others discussing private matters in public on their devices, only 28 percent said they had engaged in the same behavior.

To be honest, I was struck by this article. I do get irritated at the behaviors described above. I do not know if I actually behave the same way and might not just be aware of it! Maybe my gadgets do bring out the worst in me. How about you?