Relationship with Tech (2016)

This project is about trending, so we always try to keep a balance between keeping the questions consistent and incorporating feedback we receive.

This question is a good example of how we’ve evolved the survey based on feedback.  In 2015, several people mentioned that this question didn’t have an option for their situation, which was a love of tech but a frustration with its cost, which meant they often straddled the line between always buying new products vs. staying fairly current.  Now, there is an additional response choice for this question.  :)

Which of these statements best describes your relationship with technology?

• [love it] I’m first in line to buy new products and know exactly how this year’s model is different from last year’s model
• [too expensive] I would be first in line to buy new products, and absolutely love new tech, but new devices cost too much!  So sometimes I am stuck with older devices
• [function not fun] I like to stay fairly current with technology, but it’s more about function than fun
• [like what I know] When it comes to tech, I just like to find something that works for me and use it until it dies
• [no thanks] It’s 2015, so I expect to use technology from time to time, but you can’t make me like it

This year, we can compare 2015 and 2016.  It doesn’t seem too much of a leap to think that some of the people in 2015 that chose “function not fun” would have chosen “too expensive” if the option had been available.

Another interesting thought is that in 2016, if you consider that the first two responses both really translate to “love it” we can conclude that 30.9% of survey respondents actually love new technology.  2017’s data will help us better determine if the community is becoming more comfortable with technology, or if the additional response was really key to accurately capturing how people really feel.