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The survey, commissioned by BigRentz, paints a pretty grim picture when it comes to home care self-sufficiency. Apparently, if the Wi-Fi happens to falter, many adults won't be able to get anything done for themselves.
Respondents were asked about their ability to fix a variety of different house problems without turning to Google for help, and while close to half (43%) said they know how to unclog a drain, only 25% know how to install a drywall anchor. Another 39% said they can stop a running toilet all by themselves, and 38% can find a stud. Additionally, 31% know how to patch a hole in a drywall, and 29% said they can replace a washer on a leaky faucet.
Age is also a factor; 85% of survey participants over the age of 65 said they can accomplish at least one of the aforementioned tasks without the internet. Also, male respondents generally reported being more confident regarding home repair tasks than female participants.
Researchers also looked into search engine data to see how often Americans are looking into various issues, and found that 11,000 people search for information on how to fix a leaky faucet each and every month. Another 7,200 search "how to unclog a drain" every month, and 4,100 look into how to find a stud. Less frequent searches include "how to stop a running toilet" (1,500), "how to patch a drywall hole" (300), and "how to install a drywall anchor" (150).
Considering the prior statistic that only 25% of Americans know how to install a drywall anchor, the low number of monthly searches on that topic indicates that most are willing to call a repairman instead of fixing it themselves.
Those who grew up without the internet are clearly more comfortable fixing home problems themselves. On average, respondents over the age of 45 are much more confident in their ability to perform repairs. Meanwhile, nearly half of respondents aged 18-24 admitted they can't accomplish any of the aforementioned tasks.
If we examine gender differences more closely, 56% of female participants said they were unable to perform any of the listed tasks, while 44% of male respondents said the same. Even among each separate fix asked about in the survey, men reported at least a 15-20% higher knowledge base than women.
Constantly calling the local repair man can add up quickly as well. Researchers noted that U.S. homeowners spent an average of $10,000 on repairs in 2018.
The research was conducted by Google Surveys.
Reader Comments
Just in Time permeates everything now.
What if a catastrophe happens and amongst all the shortages, the WWW is gone also?
All the technology we have right now...How to fix things would not apply, we would have to go back to basics and learn how they did things in the 17th - 18th century using human hands and human innovation, to create. Or even as far back as the neolithic .
Not that long ago the man and woman of the home could build the house, outfit it with things they made themselves and then maintain it through the years, all with tools they made or had handed down by family.
Ya, I know that is old school; too old school for this generation. However, I've always thought it a good idea to know how something is put together before relying on it. Your car, your fridge, your stove, your protection from the elements are all very important things that will mess you up if they go wrong.
I love my Haynes repair manuals and have used the internet for countless information searches because nobody can know everything...Sauteed Mushrooms not withstanding...
Use Magnesium cement as you can use soil with organis matter to build wallls and a roof. Lime cement sucks in water and makes moulds. Mg does not! Most of the cost of a house is taxation, until a mortgage is involved and then it is interest on the loan!
Build two rooms at first and add on as you buy MgO cement!
Destroy the CaO cement cartel!