The Best of Creative Computing Volume 1 (published 1976)
Survey of Public Attitudes Toward Computers in Society (Understanding of Computers)
UNDERSTANDING OF COMPUTERS
After looking at the various roles of the computer, one
must ask, do people understand the computer per se by
itself? And the answer is that a surprising number do. And
quite a few don't. Indeed between one-quarter and
one-third of the population believe the computer is beyond
the understanding of the typical person. Also, many people
have the wrong notion about who causes computer
mistakes - machines or people.
Computers are beyond the understanding of the typical
person. Are they? Well 25% of the adults and 31% of the
youth think so. But 62% of the adults and 49% of the
youth think they are within comprehension. Perhaps more
revealing - among schools with an instructional computer
program, over 80% of the students believe that computers
are within their understanding.
Computers make mistakes at least 10% of the time. This
statement must be coupled with the next one: Programmers
and operators make mistakes, but computers are, for the
most part, error free. FACT: Statement 1 is absolutely
false, statement 2 is true. How did respondents do with
these questions? Most answered "correctly" - about 68%,
fewer youth than adults, but a fair number of people were
downright wrong (13%). The rest of the people didn't know
(19%). These percentages are similar to those scored on
nationwide tests of scientific facts - about 2/3 of the
people know the facts but the other third are wrong or just
don't know. A happy situation? Not very.
It is possible to design computer systems which protect
the privacy of data. Not even the computer designer knows
for sure, so what can we expect from the general public?
Well, 61% of the adults think you can design a secure
system and 26% think you can't; only 49% of the youth
think you can and 16% think you can't. What does all this
say? Probably nothing except that some people are
optimists and some are pessimists, and at least on the data
privacy issue, more adults are optimistic than young people.
STATISTICAL RESULTS OF SURVEY OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES
TOWARDS COMPUTERS IN SOCIETY
ADULT (N=300)
YOUTH (N=543)
Strongly Strongly
strongly Strongly
or Mostly or Mostly or
Mostly or Mostly
Agree Disagree Agree
Disagree
Computer Impact on the Quality of Life
Computers will improve education. 86.6% 5.9%
84.2% 4.5%
Computers will improve Iaw enforcement. 81.9 3.3
70.0 10.1
Computers will improve health Care. 78.5 5.3
54.1 11.9
Credit rating data banks are a worthwhile 64.2 13.4
64.0 7.6
use of computers.
Computer Threat to Society
A person today cannot escape the 91.6 4.0
66.6 17.7
influence of computers.
Computer polls and predictions 48.1 27.5
44.2 26.9
influence the outcome of elections.
Computers dehumanize society by treating 37.4 50.3
39.9 30.5
everyone as a number.
Computers isolate people by preventing 18.7 62.5
20.9 42.5
normal social interactions among users.
Understanding the Role of Computers
Computers are best suited for doing 80.0 10.3
57.0 21.6
repetitive, monotonous tasks.
Computers are a tool just like a 72.6 14.7
61.3 23.4
hammer or lathe.
Computers slow down and complicate 17.6 66.4
17.4 68.8
simple business operations.
Computers will replace low-skill jobs 71.0 15.0
61.8 14.4
and create jobs needing specialized
training
Computers will create as many jobs 62.5 16.4
40.0 29.1
as they eliminate.
Understanding of Computers
Computers are beyond the understanding 25.2 61.6
30.6 49.2
of the typical person. =
Computers make mistakes at least 10% 9.6 76.7
10.3 60.0
of the time.
Programmers and operators make mistakes, 67.0 19.3
72.3 13.3
but computers are, for the most part.
error free.
It is possible to design computer 60.2 26.4
48.6 15.9
systems which protect the privacy of
data.
