Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

What Does Your Computer Desktop Say About You?

by Kaiser Hwang on March 2, 2009 at 11:51 AM



Privacy is a funny thing, isn't it? These days, it's fairly common to update your Facebook page with your likes and dislikes, taste in music, contact information, personal photos and who knows what else. This is information we give out consciously and willingly, and it all says something about the types of people we are. But what are we unconsciously saying about ourselves when we use the computer? Are we confident or do we have big egos? Are we insecure, or shy?


One way to find out is to analyze your computer desktop. According to a study in desktop psychology, everything from your habits to your ambitions may be revealed just by looking at your desktop icons and background. "Our desktops are our personal space and as such provide a fairly accurate personality description of an individual," says Donna Dawson, a personality and behavior psychologist.

Have icons evenly placed on each side of the screen? Chances are you like everything in its place and well-proportioned and stay calm in stressful situations. If you have icons all over the desktop, then it's likely you're disorganized and unfocused. Use a personal photo as your desktop background? It's likely you are a parent or frequent traveler. If you're one of those folks who just opts for the plain blue wallpaper that comes with your computer, then you probably like to keep your private life private.

Is your computer desktop organized or cluttered?
It's organized.4936 (80.7%)
It's cluttered.804 (13.1%)
I'm not sure.376 (6.1%)

There's a lot of interesting stuff here that, while fairly generalized, seems like it makes logical sense. Check the read link and to find out what type of person you might be. And if you're wondering what some of your other gadgets say about you, then take a look at the "What Your Gadgets Say About You" gallery below. [From: Telegraph]


What Do Your Gadgets Say About You?

    What Does Your Tech Say About You?
    As makes sense in consumer societies, most folks in developed nations -- wittingly or not -- express themselves via the stuff they accumulate. Since technological goods have become increasingly pervasive, and affordable, it only makes sense that tech companies have begun to imbue their products with 'personalities' of their own. From your ride to your ringtone, your tech -- like it or not -- can expose aspects of your personality to others. Click through to see just what we're talking about.

    Your car
    Possibly the most widely recognized status symbol of the modern era, the automobile has been developed perhaps more than any other piece of machinery to appeal to certain personality types. A Mercedes, for instance, might give off the vibe that you are a high-roller, concerned with sophistication over flash. If you drive a Chevy, you're putting out that all-American vibe. And if you drive a Hummer? Well, you just suck.

    Your ringtone
    Downloadable ringtones have skyrocketed in popularity over recent years, with even your cousin's pitiful emo band hawking their own via MySpace. Since the kinds of people who use ringtones are rarely the kinds of people to courteously set their phones to silent mode when in public, the whole world's perception of you could hinge on your ringtone selection. If you pick a Young Jeezy jam, you're probably the type of person who likes to get crunk. If you download a Barry Manilow ringtone, you're probably the type of person that downloads ringtones by accident.

    Your cell phone
    With smartphones pervading pockets and purses everywhere, the cell phone may soon replace the automobile as the most recognizable status symbol. While a BlackBerry gives off the vibe that you are all about business, an iPhone would suggest that you mix business and pleasure -- a technological mullet, of sorts. And as for those Luddites among us with older-gen, plain-old cell phones? Well, that says we'd rather buy months' worth of groceries than a telephone.

    Your preferred MP3 player bit rate
    A CNET report has broken down MP3 listeners into types, contingent on their bit rate preferences. Folks who listen to 128kbps probably use their MP3 players' included headphones. Those who subscribe to 256kbps are highly likely to use BitTorrent, but never Limewire. Lossless fans tend be Gen X-ers, while 320kbps-listeners tend to be part of Gen Y.

    Your Vista sidebar gadgets
    Since Vista's "gadgets" feature leaves some users perplexed, Windows Vista Magazine (that's right) offered a break-down of Vista user types last year. According to the article, those who leave the sidebar alone are "unadventurous" and might be "nervous." Folks who mess with the sidebar a little bit are "naturally curious," but also "flit between things." On the other hand, Vista users who fully take advantage of the sidebar are called "individuals" who "aren't afraid to try new things." It's almost as if Windows Vista Magazine wants you to pay for Windows Vista gadgets. Weird.

    Your gadgets, in general
    If you're a gadget lover, or what's called an 'early adopter,' research shows that you're probably an assertive person. The study, conducted by Nielsen Online and Mindset Media, also found that folks who rush to the store in order to buy the newest gadget tend to have strong leadership qualities. Oh, and they also tend to be condescending jerks.

    Your Mac
    If you're a Mac user, chances are high that you're also an early adopter, so it should be no surprise that, as the owner of a Mac, you are probably an arrogant, uptight kind of person. Of course, it's not all bad. The study in question, conducted at last year's Macworld conference, shows that Mac users also tend to be more open-minded. Unless it comes to PC-users, that is.


Related Links:

Tags: consumerism, desktop, personality, personality traits, PersonalityTraits, privacy, psychology, studies

Comments

5

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular