Anger Management: Over 33 Percent of Americans Verbally or Physically Abuse Their Computers

It doesn't matter if you're a saint or a frequent sinner, a sailor with a potty mouth or a monk who took a vow of silence. If you own a computer, then at some point you've belted out a line of obscenities that would make Andrew Dice Clay wince in astonishment. PCs have a way of bringing out the worst in us when things go wrong, and according to a recent nationwide survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Crucial in June 2013, some even tend to get physical.

Out of over 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older who were surveyed, more than a third -- 36 percent -- of Americans who experienced computer problems in the past six months admit to lashing out at their PC by using vulgar language, screaming, shouting, and even punching it or using an object to beat down the insolent machine.

Angry Kitty at Computer

These wonderful systems that are capable of great things also have a tendency to play with our emotions. Some 65 percent of those surveyed said that computer problems have left them frustrated, followed by feeling angry (10 percent), helpless (10 percent), and even victimized (4 percent).

"We've become so dependent on our computers and think of them as helpful partners, making it that much more painful when they betray us at the worst possible time," said Roddy McLean, Crucial.com e-Commerce Marketing Manager.

Almost half of the survey respondents blamed malware for their PC woes, while 16 percent said they weren't sure what was causing their problem. According to Crucial, having a sluggish and/or unresponsive PC is the result of "not having enough internal memory," hence the self serving study.

What's the worst thing you've ever down when frustrated with a PC?