Need Help with Technology? You’re not Alone.

So many wonderful new gadgets. So many user handbooks to read.

Some 48% of technology users usually need help from others to set up new devices or to show them how they function. “Struggles with modern gadgetry mean less engagement with the services they enable,” said John B. Horrigan, Associate Director of the Pew Internet Project. “Time spent dealing with set-up or outages means less time using modern communication services to connect with friends or find information that might help people be more productive.”

Although tech users can usually fix the problems by themselves, with the help of friends, or by calling upon user support, some say they cannot fix tech problems at all. Here are some of the ways device owners fixed their broken technology:

38% of users with failed technology contacted user support for help.
28% of technology users fixed the problem themselves.
15% fixed the problem with help from friends or family.
15% of tech users were unable to fix their devices
2% found help online.

“In an age in which new technologies are introduced almost daily, a new gadget or service can become popular well before the technology itself is understood by the average user,” said Sydney Jones, Research Assistant at the Pew Internet & American Life Project. “Naturally, some users catch on to new technology more quickly than others, and those who have more trouble grasping the technology are left confused, discouraged, and reliant on help from others when their technology fails.”