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65% of Americans Spend More Time With Their PC Than SO
Ant writes "PR Newswire reports that 65 percent of consumers are spending more time with a computer than with their significant other (SO). The "Cyber Stress" study confirmed consumers' growing relationship with technology in their everyday lives. In fact, more than 8 out of 10 Americans (84%) say they are more dependent on their home computer now than they were just three years ago."
From TFA:
SupportSoft sells support; so they're interested in a dystopian state of affairs. (For my part, I'm still not convinced we're not dealing with a slashvertisement.)
That said, computers play some yet-to-be-determined role in the splintering of society; as the space-time-continuum is warped, and proximity becomes irrelevant: neighbours become irrelevant.
A real dystopia, therefore, might be the flattening of human relationships into one indifferent, indistinguishable mass.
But since Europeans and European-Americans aren't breeding anymore, it doesn't matter: you'll all be dead within a generation.
And does it include time spent by all the stereotypical geeks who don't have significant others?
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
... but I have to go have sex with my wife.
I like to place meaningful quotes in my sig, so people will know that I know what meaningful quotes are.
You insensitive clod!
Also, on a completely different topic, World of Warcraft subscriptions have exceeded 8 million.
Blerg.
In my family, my wife is a writer. I'm an IT guy. At night, we play WoW together.
Added together, our total time at home together (including sleep) is about 11 hours. That means 13 hours is spent with a computer seperately right off the bat.
Considering our nights are often spent playing 3-4 hours of WoW, that puts it at 17 hours on the computer per day. Even at best, we would spend probably 3-4 hours a day together, which wouldn't even put a dent in the usual 8-10 hours at work with a computer.
-WS
An operating system should be like a light switch... simple, effective, easy to use, and designed for everyone.
Tag this one as "shill".
I can explanate how to administrate your network. You must configurate and segmentate it, so it can computate.
...for National Mandatory Sex and Cuddling Day.
(Verify word was "nearby"? Must be a sign....)
People spend more time with lots of things than with their SO. I would argue that this can be healthy.
After all, if you want to get sick of someone there is no better way than spending every waking moment with them.
I know it's all down to personal preference, but I find that time apart is every bit as important as time together.
The trick is to balance the two - too much of one or the other is bad, you need just the right amount of together and seperate time.
My Computer Music Tutorial Videos
spend nearly all my time outside of work on my PC. Then I got a job in the PC world, and then I quit being on it outside of my normal job.
Then I met a girl, and got married. Since she turned out to be a complete psycho bitch (I should have known...should have known) and now spend all my free time *back* on the PC, and away from her as much as possible.
So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
And I'll bet these people are a little less glued to their televisions than they were three years ago. And instead of going to the movies or getting hammered at a bar, they might find an online game to be a bit more entertaining.
The obvious downside is that I'm sure that some people are probably less active than they were before, but not all of them. If you percieve this to be a growing threat or strain on relationships, market software/hardware that makes the PC experience something shared between two people. I know tons of couples (and families) that have two or more computers and they simply play games like WoW together.
Honestly, I don't see anything unhealthy with this trend so long as the people excersize or go out walking/running once a week or more.
My work here is dung.
The PC does what you tell it to.
This tagline is copyrighted material. Please send $10 for an affordable replacement.
I seem to remember having one of those... Someone nagged me when I was upgrading our router... but the memory is dim... Anyway, the food miraculously appears and somehow the children get to bed, so I suspect someone is in the house doing these things...
GetOuttaMySpace - The Anti-Social Network
I spend more time with my underwear than I do with my SO and she doesn't seem to mind it. It has the added benefit of keeping my dangly bits from rubbing all over the inside of my pants.
All the normal ones have been eaten; the bony ones are next.
I Am My Own Worst Enemy
After doing the RTFA stuff, I noticed something, umm, interesting? It doesn't bother to distinguish between using the computer at home, and using the computer at work. Considering the fact that MOST people spend more of their time WORKING then being AT HOME, 65% seems rather low now, doesn't it? I mean, is it REALLY true that 35% of Americans don't have to deal with a computer, constantly, at work? Good for them! Stupid B.S. sensationalist studies give scientific studies a bad name.
*My SO is another avatar in Second Life
And what about the majority of those on Slashdot where the computer IS their significant other?
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........