Millions of Brits are clueless about tech – and many don’t know the difference between an upload and a download, it has emerged. As a PA/EA, we know that most of you are ahead of the curve when it comes to keeping up with modern tech but if you prefer a more traditional pen and paper approach to work, you might get left behind.
Researchers found a quarter of the nation are clueless when it comes to ‘the cloud’ and have no idea how ‘cloud storage’ works. Even the meaning of common tech acronyms, such as USB and Wi-Fi, are dividing the nation – both young and old.
Less than half of Brits know that USB stands for ‘Universal Serial Bus’, with nearly a quarter thinking the popular term stands for ‘Universal System Block’ or ‘Uniform Standard Block’.
Three-quarters of the nation also mistakenly believe that Wi-Fi stands for something, when in fact, the creators of the term have admitted it is simply a catchy phrase and doesn’t, in fact, stand for anything.
Other confusing terms include ‘updating your story’, with a fifth of the nation using the phrase when talking about updating a CV.
The poll of 2,000 adults by Currys PC World, revealed two-thirds of the nation admitted their tech knowledge is average at best, with 42 per cent confessing they feel current technology is too complicated.
This is despite the high percentage of Brits using devices on a regular basis, with eight in ten adults using a smartphone and nearly two-thirds using a laptop daily. Part of the problem is also outdated tech, with Brits listing the top tech bugbears are that their laptops or computers are too slow, too old or they don’t have enough memory.
Six in ten respondents also say they feel frustrated when they can’t make their computer do what they want it to, with others experiencing feelings of anger and inadequacy. Whilst nearly four in ten adults feel that they can rely on their children to help with any technical issues, it appears that young Brits might know less than they think.
Adults across the UK are more likely to understand widely-used terms such as ‘Firewall’, ‘Modem’ and ‘Download’ compared to today’s youth.
However, nearly one in ten of over 55s who took part in the OnePoll.com study were more likely to believe that a filter is used to make coffee, rather than to change the way a photograph looks.
Whilst they may not be as familiar with more traditional terms as their older counterparts, young people have proven they have a strong grasp of modern day tech slang, with words like ‘sliding into your DMs’ and ‘boomerang’ up to nine times more likely to be used in their vocabulary.
Georgina Bramall, head of brand and advertising at Dixons Carphone, said: “With technology advancing at a rapid pace, it can feel a little overwhelming at times and it can be easy to feel out of your depth.
“However, it’s not always just the buzzwords and jargon that can make us feel left behind. Sometimes it’s the tech we use that’s old and outdated, which further compounds the problem.”
She added: “Our findings protwo-thirdstting it right with your set-up is now more important than ever – two thirds of the country use a laptop daily, yet nearly a third of consumers say their tech is too slow, which can cause all kinds of problems.
