Smartphones really were just the beginning of our personal connection with technology. Now we can wear smart devices and increasingly we’ll find more household items with internet connectivity. So, how is all of this playing on our mind?

New research says it’s time to take a different look at your smart TV because its video streaming, and the dreaded buffering delay, is causing us to have some serious rage.

If you’ve hopped on the video streaming service bandwagon and signed up to a service like Netflix, Stan or Presto, you’ve probably encountered the kind of delay the research is talking about.

Picture it. You and your viewing party have settled on a movie or TV show (season) of choice and press play. The next screen you see is one of stalled activity. A “please wait while we fetch your stream” message or a thinking wheel that seems to never stop spinning displays.

It’s at this point you need to step away and let the technology do its thing because buffer rage sounds scary.

It’s defined as “a state of uncontrollable fury or violent anger induced by the delayed or interrupted enjoyment of streaming video content”.

“More than half of consumers (51 percent) who watch online or streamed video have experienced rage as a result of their video buffering,” media research company IneoQuest reported.

Alarmingly, the report also notes: “cord cutting is on the rise.”


This gives a whole new PG-rated meaning to the phrase Netflix and chill. Honestly people, let’s just chill.

Video streaming via smart TVs is just one way we’re interacting with technology. The Internet of Things is set to enable more appliances and everyday items with connectivity. So do we need to learn to unplug or can we manage any technology related stress without a digital detox?

‘Disconnecting is like sticking our heads in the sand’

This piece from The Conversation makes some good points about how to keep it all in perspective and why cutting off from technology completely is probably not a cure all.

“It doesn’t mean to say that spending your life online is necessarily a good thing, but detox is not the answer. It may provide temporary respite, but we have to make up for it as soon as we plug back in,” sociologist Natasha Mauthner said.

The key is to have a good relationship with your devices because “disconnecting from digital technologies is like sticking our heads in the sand”.

“It prevents us from asking how technologies are changing our lives in particular ways and whether it is for the better. It also stops us from reclaiming these technologies and re-purposing them for different goals and values,” Ms Mauthner said.

So while you might need to recalibrate if buffer rage sounds familiar, you probably don’t need to run off to a digital detox retreat just yet.

One way we know technology is helping to bring purpose to our lives is through the various apps designed to help keep our minds and bodies healthy. We told you about some of them in our piece about fitness apps.