December 22, 2006 – (HOSTSEARCH.COM) – A report commissioned by web hosting provider Rackspace Managed Hosting in the United Kingdom, has suggested that key IT failures in websites might have negative effects on the nervous system.
The report, published today by the UK’s Social Issues Research Centre suggests there are key IT flaws in the way websites are designed and hosted that may lead to harmful health effects.
The report is based on data from a YouGov poll of 2,500 people with physiological tests on a separate sample of Internet users. These users were asked to find information from a number of different websites. The tests measured the physical and physiological reactions to website experiences, looking at brainwaves, heart-rate fluctuations, muscle tension and skin conductivity. Results indicated that badly designed and hosted websites cause stress and anger, leading to what is termed “Mouse Rage Syndrome” or MRS.
The key website failures that lead to MRS are slow loading pages, sites that are difficult to navigate, sites with too many pop-ups, excessive advertising and site unavailability. The SIRC report states: “When the test participants came to the ‘problem’ sites that we had deliberately chosen as comparisons for the ‘Perfect Website’ evaluation exercise (a prior study), responses changed quite dramatically in most, but not all, cases. While a few managed to stay calm and simply ‘rise above’ the problems presented by crazy graphics and slow-loading pages, others showed very distinct signs of stress and anxiety”
The report added, “Some changes in muscle tension were quite dramatic…While this was happening, the participant’s faces also tensed visibly, with the teeth clenched together and the muscles around the mouth becoming taught. These are physically uncomfortable situations that reduce concentration and increase feelings of anger.” Signs of Mouse Rage include quickening heart rate, increased sweating, excessive mouse clicking, speaking or shouting at a screen and hitting a mouse.
“We believe that businesses that are selling online have a duty to their customers to ensure that the experience is as stress free as possible. The public has shown that it wants to buy online, as it has been forecast that over £4m an hour will be spent in the UK in the run up to Christmas. The message is clear, businesses need to provide simple and easy to navigate layouts, whilst focusing on speed and uptime,” explained Rackspace Managed Hosting’s Managing Director, Jacques Greyling.
