A Nation In Love With PCs
A significant numbers of people in the UK are developing unique relationships with their computers, according to new research from MORI.
The research, for the relaunch of Tesco's Computers for Schools initiative, also shows that people admit they feel strongly attached to their PC and react to them as if they have 'personalities' of their own.
One in seven computer users aged 11 or over (15%) often talk to their computers and two in five (39%) feel extremely fond of them.
A quarter of adult computer users (23%) like to talk about them to colleagues, friends and family — with men nearly twice as likely to do so than women (29% vs 16% respectively).
- Download the full report — pdf document — 187K
Topline Results
- Base (unless otherwise stated): All respondents (1,939 adults aged 17+, 592 children aged 11-16)
- Fieldwork conducted face-to-face in respondents' homes on the MORI Omnibus and the NOP Children's Omnibus
- Fieldwork was conducted 15–17th December 2003 (adults), and 6 December 2003 (children)
- Quotas were imposed on key demographic criteria such as age, gender and social class and findings have been weighted to be representative of the GB population
- Where responses do not sum to 100%, this is due to rounding, the exclusion of not stated, or multiple responses
- An '*' denotes a percentage of greater than zero, but less than 0.5%. A '-' indicates the question was not asked of this audience
Q1 Which of these, if any, do you personally use … ? And which others? Ranked on Adults
| Base: all (1,939 adults, 592 children aged 11-16) | Adults | Children |
|---|---|---|
| (1,939) | (592) | |
| % | % | |
| Mobile phone | 79 | 82 |
| Text messaging (SMS) on a mobile phone | 56 | 79 |
| PC — desktop, laptop or other computer at home | 53 | 78 |
| DVD player (built into a computer or stand alone) | 52 | 70 |
| Digital TV e.g. satellite digital (Sky Digital), cable digital (ntl, Telewest) or through your exisiting aerial (Freeview or other non-contract TV adapter box) | 49 | 62 |
| Internet at home | 39 | 67 |
| PC — desktop, laptop or other computer at work, place of study or elsewhere | 31 | 81 |
| Internet at work, place of study or elsewhere | 29 | 86 |
| Interactive services on digital TV (e.g. games, shopping, banking or extra information accessed by pressing the 'red button' on your remote control) | 17 | 37 |
| Digital radio channels through a specialist DAB receiver, through a digital television or over the internet | 14 | 28 |
| Internet at home via a high-speed, always-on 'broadband' connection (e.g. via ADSL or cable modem) | 13 | 31 |
| Picture messaging (MMS) on a mobile phone | 8 | 30 |
| None of these | 13 | 1 |
| Don't know | * | 0 |
Q2a On average, roughly how many hours do you personally spend using a computer each week for work (job, education or voluntary work), including at the weekend?
| Work Usage | Adults | Children |
|---|---|---|
| Base: all PC users (1,046 adults, 579 children) | (1,046) | (579) |
| % | % | |
| 1-3 hours (up to half an hour per day) | 18 | 59 |
| 4-7 hours (over half an hour and up to one hour per day) | 11 | 22 |
| 8-14 hours (over one and up to two hours per day) | 11 | 7 |
| 15-21 hours (over two and up to three hours per day) | 12 | 1 |
| 22-35 hours (over three and up to five hours per day) | 13 | 1 |
| 36-49 hours (over five and up to seven hours per day) | 7 | 0 |
| 50-70 hours (over seven and up to ten hours per day) | 2 | * |
| 71+ hours (over ten hours per day) | * | 0 |
| None of these/ Don't know | 26 | 9 |
Q2b On average, roughly how many hours do you personally spend using a computer each week for activities not related to your work (job, education or voluntary work), including at the weekend?
| Leisure Usage | Adults | Children |
|---|---|---|
| Base: all PC users (1,046 adults, 579 children) | (1,046) | (579) |
| % | % | |
| 1-3 hours (up to half an hour per day) | 39 | 44 |
| 4-7 hours (over half an hour and up to one hour per day) | 22 | 22 |
| 8-14 hours (over one and up to two hours per day) | 12 | 14 |
| 15-21 hours (over two and up to three hours per day) | 8 | 5 |
| 22-35 hours (over three and up to five hours per day) | 3 | 3 |
| 36-49 hours (over five and up to seven hours per day) | 1 | 1 |
| 50-70 hours (over seven and up to ten hours per day) | * | * |
| 71+ hours (over ten hours per day) | * | * |
| None of these/Don't know | 14 | 10 |
Q2a+b On average, roughly what is the total number of hours you personally spend using a computer each week for work (job, education or voluntary work) and for activities not relating to your job, including at the weekend?
| Total Usage | Adults | Children |
|---|---|---|
| Base: all PC users (1,046 adults, 579 children) | (1,046) | (579) |
| % | % | |
| 1-3 hours (up to half an hour per day) | 17 | 25 |
| 4-7 hours (over half an hour and up to one hour per day) | 16 | 30 |
| 8-14 hours (over one and up to two hours per day) | 14 | 24 |
| 15-21 hours (over two and up to three hours per day) | 14 | 8 |
| 22-35 hours (over three and up to five hours per day) | 16 | 7 |
| 36-49 hours (over five and up to seven hours per day) | 10 | 2 |
| 50-70 hours (over seven and up to ten hours per day) | 5 | 1 |
| 71+ hours (over ten hours per day) | 2 | * |
| None of these/Don't know | 6 | 2 |
| Summary Figures | ||
| High Users (36+ hours for adults and 15+ hours for children | 15 | 20 |
| Medium Users (8-35 hours for adults and 4-14 hours for children) | 43 | 54 |
| Low Users (1-7 hours for adults and 1-3 hors for children) | 35 | 26 |
| Don't Know | 6 | 1 |
Q3 When did you first use a computer for any purpose?
| Base: all PC users (1,046 adults, 579 children) | Adults | Children |
|---|---|---|
| (1,046) | (579) | |
| % | % | |
| Within the last year (2003) | 4 | 3 |
| Over one year and up to three years ago (2001-2002) | 5 | 15 |
| Over three years and up to five years ago (1998-2000) | 14 | 35 |
| Over five years and up to ten years ago (1993-1997) | 26 | 38 |
| Over ten years and up to fifteen years ago (1988-1992) | 22 | 7 |
| Over fifteen years and up to twenty years ago (1983-1987) | 15 | — |
| More than twenty years ago (1982 or earlier) | 12 | — |
| Don't know | 2 | 2 |
Q4 For which of the following do you use a computer? Ranked on Adults
| Base: all PC users (1,046 adults, 579 children) | Adults | Children |
|---|---|---|
| (1,046) | (579) | |
| % | % | |
| Work (job, education, voluntary or school work) | 68 | 91 |
| Finding out about things I am interested in | 66 | 68 |
| Booking entertainment/travel/holidays etc | 45 | 9 |
| Speaking with friends | 44 | 50 |
| Keeping in touch with family/children/grandchildren/other relatives | 42 | 33 |
| Banking/Administration of financial matters | 37 | — |
| Shopping for food/other items | 35 | 11 |
| Organising/Managing my life/interests | 31 | 20 |
| Helping children/grandchildren to do their homework/learn new things | 29 | — |
| Downloading music/games/pictures/films etc | 29 | 56 |
| Jobs/Recruitment | 20 | — |
| Making new friends | 8 | 22 |
| Helping parents/other adults to do their work/learn new things | — | 30 |
| None of these | 5 | 1 |
| Don't Know | * | 1 |
Q5 I am now going to read out some statements about how people feel towards the computers that they use. Thinking about the computer that you use most often, please tell me how strongly you agree or disagree with each statement.
| Base: all PC users (1,046 Adults) | Strongly agree | Tend to agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Tend to disagree | Strongly disagree | Don't know | Agree | disagree | Net Agree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| I think of my computer as a trusted friend | 7 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 18 | 2 | 30 | 43 | - 13 |
| I am extremely fond of my computer | 7 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 18 | 1 | 29 | 44 | - 15 |
| I often talk to my computer | 3 | 13 | 10 | 27 | 46 | 1 | 16 | 73 | - 57 |
| I sometimes enjoy spending time with my computer more than I do with my partner or friends | 1 | 7 | 8 | 26 | 57 | 1 | 8 | 83 | - 75 |
| I take my frustration with my computer out on other people | 1 | 9 | 9 | 32 | 48 | 1 | 11 | 79 | - 69 |
| I sometimes think my computer is trying to make my life difficult | 7 | 19 | 11 | 28 | 34 | 1 | 26 | 62 | - 36 |
| I would feel lost without my computer | 12 | 26 | 10 | 25 | 25 | 1 | 38 | 50 | - 12 |
| I feel annoyed when someone else uses my computer | 4 | 11 | 12 | 34 | 38 | 1 | 14 | 73 | - 58 |
| I talk to my friends and colleagues about my computer and what it can do | 2 | 21 | 12 | 30 | 34 | 1 | 23 | 64 | - 41 |
| I have feelings for my computer (either positive of negative) | 3 | 11 | 17 | 26 | 41 | 1 | 14 | 67 | - 53 |
| I feel nervous of my computer | 1 | 11 | 8 | 30 | 48 | 1 | 12 | 78 | - 67 |
| By 2020 I think that computers will be as important to people as their family and friends | 7 | 27 | 10 | 25 | 29 | 2 | 34 | 54 | - 21 |
Q5 I am now going to read out some statements about how people feel towards the computers that they use. Thinking about the computer that you use most often, please tell me how strongly you agree or disagree with each statement.
| Base: all PC users (579 children) | Strongly agree | Tend to agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Tend to disagree | Strongly disagree | Don't know | Agree | disagree | Net Agree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| I think of my computer as a trusted friend | 12 | 32 | 15 | 17 | 21 | 2 | 45 | 38 | + 7 |
| I am extremely fond of my computer | 29 | 31 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 61 | 24 | + 36 |
| I often talk to my computer | 5 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 68 | 3 | 13 | 80 | - 67 |
| I sometimes enjoy spending time with my computer more than I do with my partner or friends | 9 | 8 | 8 | 19 | 53 | 2 | 18 | 72 | - 54 |
| I take my frustration with my computer more than I do with my partner or friends | 7 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 56 | 4 | 18 | 72 | - 54 |
| I sometimes think my computer is trying to make my life difficult | 11 | 16 | 9 | 13 | 48 | 3 | 27 | 62 | - 35 |
| I would feel lost without my computer | 21 | 18 | 12 | 15 | 29 | 4 | 39 | 45 | - 6 |
| I feel annoyed when someone else uses my computer | 15 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 43 | 4 | 28 | 59 | - 32 |
| I talk to my friends and colleagues about my computer and what it can do | 12 | 27 | 11 | 15 | 32 | 3 | 40 | 47 | - 8 |
| I have feelings for my computer (either positive of negative) | 6 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 52 | 4 | 18 | 66 | - 48 |
| I feel nervous of my computer | 1 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 75 | 3 | 4 | 87 | - 83 |
| By 2020 I think that computers will be as important to people as their family and friends | 17 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 33 | 4 | 37 | 45 | - 8 |
