Snap out of it! You likely annoy others daily with poor manners with technology
26 July 2005
Research reveals that technology is here to stay, yet Americans still need to get a clue when it comes to tech etiquette.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — What would you do if someone took away your cell phone or revoked your privileges to ever use email again? If you are like the majority of Americans, you would "die." According to a new survey by the leading global market research firm Synovate, more than one-half of Americans can't live without access to a cell phone or email, while at the same time the vast majority of people see users display annoying behavior with their technology on at least a daily basis. In a day and age where technological dependence is at its peak among Americans, wouldn't one think that as a society we would have learned by now to have better tech etiquette?
A surprising 70% of the population polled nationally observed people using technology in a manner that is disrespectful to others at least once a day. When asked what piece of technology they would "die" without, 53% of Americans responded their cell phone or email. What's even more shocking is that those same technology devices are those with which Americans most regularly see the poorest etiquette. Specifically, 68% of the population sees the poorest etiquette with technology among cell phone users and 18% among email users.
"Poor tech etiquette is something most of us don't really think about as we pick up our cell phones or send an email," said Steve Levine, Senior Vice President and head of the Technology / Telecommunications Division at Synovate. "I suspect the functionality and ease-of-use of these devices lead us to become lazy and to lose awareness of ourselves, others and our surroundings. Since technology has become central to enhancing our lives, we need to take a step back and be more mindful on how we incorporate technology into our environment."
Research specifically revealed that approximately 72% of Americans view the worst cell phone habit as loud conversations in public places, while 65% of Americans view the worst email habits as sending chain forwards or poor grammar. This may partially explain why one-third of Americans (36%) tolerate technology out of necessity.
"It's clear that the annoyances the technologies create do not outweigh the benefits of the devices themselves," said Levine. "It might be time for Americans to snap out of it and recognize that text messaging during a meeting or sending an email loaded with spelling errors annoys others and sends a strong message about our character. That being said, typing with one's thumbs on a little hand-held device can definitely be a challenge!"
Findings from a study conducted in 2004 by Sprint revealed that an overwhelming majority of Americans say people are less courteous today when using a cellular phone than five years ago. Consequently, Synovate's recent results further support that uncouth behavior with technology continues to rise.
Synovate interviewed 1,000 respondents in the United States through eNation - Synovate's national online research service - to generate the results of this study. More interesting information on demography and related areas of technology can be found in this study, if interested.
Contact(s) for this press release
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Veronica Jijon
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Synovate generates insights to help clients drive competitive brand, product and customer experience strategies. Now part of Ipsos, with offices in over 80 countries, our approach combines best in class global research capabilities with personalised service, local knowledge and the flexibility to create teams and processes that meet clients' specific requirements. At Synovate, our clients sit at the top of our organisational chart, driving us to continually develop more innovative research solutions that predict actual business outcomes.
For more information on Synovate visit www.synovate.com.