Modern technology ‘making all of us tetchier than ever’

IMPATIENT Britons lose their rag after 10.8 minutes in a traffic jam – but it takes just 8.1 minutes without wifi to make us blow our tops, according to a poll.

Watching the “spinning wheel of death” on a computer will lead to fury in six minutes, while failing to get good phone coverage makes us hit the roof in seven.

The study of 2,000 Britons has revealed a “rage-ometer”, showing the average time it takes us to fly off the handle.

Some 68 per cent of those quizzed admitted to a problem with “load rage” – anger when technology fails to work properly. However, tech is not the only thing that makes our blood boil.

Building flat pack furniture sends us potty within 13 minutes, and the typical adult can put up with bickering children for only 11 minutes before blowing his or her top.

These outbursts lead to some petulant displays. More than 42 per cent have sworn at an inanimate object in the past year, 20 per cent have stormed out of the house and slammed a door and 18 per cent of us have abandoned our shopping and walked out of a store.

There are also attacks on technology itself, with seven per cent flinging their phone on the ground and two per cent going so far as smashing their computer screen.

The poll by broadbandchoices. co.uk revealed the average Briton gets furious once a fortnight.

The company’s Mark Pocock said: “We are now used to having everything at our fingertips.

“Technology has made accessing services quicker, from banking online to shopping on your mobile with deliveries the same day.

“Alongside this though, as a nation our expectations have shortened – and our high expectations have made us more impatient.” A ‘sorry we missed you’ failed delivery note The spinning wheel of death on your computer Failure to get a phone signal People talking/rustling sweet wrappers in the cinema Computer that fails to start up Filling out badly designed forms online

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Wifi not working Being on hold on the telephone to your bank Your partner being annoying The kids bickering or fighting Having to wait for a delayed train/tube Building flatpack furniture

Your football team playing badly

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