Almost eight million Brits have broken gadgets – in a fit of rage, a study found.
Research revealed 15 per cent have run out of patience with their troublesome tech at one time or another and have attempted to destroy it as a result.
Typically those polled will endure 63 IT issues a year – including intermittent Wi-Fi, endless pop-up adverts and patience-testing paper jams.
But they’ll start to lose their cool after just 12 minutes when trying to fix problems like these.
Commissioned by Wiztek, the research of 2,000 adults found a third have become so fed-up by unreliable gadgets theyโve purchased a completely new device – rather than get it repaired.
One in five have even fallen out with their other half as a direct result of their phone, computer or tablet not working as it should.
Paul Amsellem, CEO of Wiztek, said: โTech is an integral part of lives โ whether it be through our jobs or through our home lives.
โAnd as such, weโd be significantly hampered in our daily lives โ unable to check emails for important messages, use sat nav to successfully get from A to B or to keep track of appointments.
โSo when our devices stop working or donโt operate as they should it understandably becomes very frustrating.โ
The research also found 47 per cent admit theyโre not very knowledgeable when it comes to resolving computer and tech issues.
And of the 60 plus problems faced annually, it emerged we will only resolve 14 of them ourselves without any help.
In fact three in 10 revealed theyโve made the problem worse when trying to fix their gadgets.
So perhaps itโs no wonder three quarters have turned to someone else to assist them with a tech issue.
But even this comes with risk – a quarter admitting they later regretted getting a helping hand when their gadgets were returned in a worse state than before.
Further frustrating tech problems include apps which keep on crashing, slow downloads and accidentally deleting something significant.
The Wiztek research carried out through OnePoll, found 40 per cent of the population has been left unable to work following problems with IT equipment.
And 25 per cent have lost important files such as cherished family photos and key documents as a direct result of a tech failure.
Amsellem added: โTech and computing issues are such a minefield – thereโs so many possible causes to everyday problems, even the most knowledgeable of people can get stumped from time to time.
“Downtime from tech problems can lead to many wasted hours and in todayโs society where we are all so busy, time costs money.”
TOP 20 – MOST ANNOYING TECH PROBLEMS:
1. Slow internet
2. Slow computer
3. Pop-up ads
4. Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting
5. Forgotten password
6. Slow downloads
7. Software updates making things worse
8. Can’t login
9. Printer won’t work
10. Phone battery keeps dying quickly
11. Accidentally deleting something important
12. App keeps on crashing
13. Paper jams
14. ‘Blue screen of death’
15. Can’t open email attachments
16. Keep seeing ‘there is a problem with this website’s security certificate’
17. Ink not printing properly
18. Hard drive failure
19. Remembering where you stored particular files/data
20. Running out of hard drive space
