Yes—people can feel emotionally attached to a car or computer. The bond may be tied to memories, routines, personal meaning, or what the object makes possible. That feeling is not, by itself, evidence of a disorder. Research on possessions and technology offers some explanations, but it does not establish how common car- or computer-specific attachment is.
What can make a car or computer feel personal?
Memories and life history
A possession can become linked with important experiences. A car might be associated with a first job, family trips, or years of daily commuting; a computer might hold photographs, creative work, or records of a particular period. These are examples of how personal meaning can attach to an object, not outcomes specifically measured in the studies discussed here.
Use, routines, and capability
Objects also matter because of what people do with them. A familiar car can be part of a daily routine, while a computer can support work, hobbies, communication, and projects. Research on technological possessions found that digital contents were often a primary source of meaning, and that people frequently viewed their technology as a system of products rather than as one isolated device. Study of technological possessions (2019)
Humanlike qualities
People sometimes describe possessions as if they had personalities or intentions. Psychologists call this anthropomorphism: attributing humanlike qualities to nonhuman things. Studies have examined anthropomorphism alongside sentimental and instrumental value and object attachment. Those associations do not show that personifying a car or computer causes a person to become attached to it. Li et al. (2018) Burgess, Graves, and Frost (2018)
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- Home Necessity and Worthy to Own: This is an excellent code reader to travel or home with as it weighs less and it is compact in design. You can easily slide it in your backpack as you head to the garage, or put it on the dashboard, this will be a great fit for you. The AD310 is not only portable, but also accurate and fast in performance. Moreover, it covers various car brands and is suitable for people who just need a code reader to check their car
What the research does—and does not—show
The evidence is relevant to understanding attachment, but it should be read within its limits. A study of technological possessions can inform how people value computers and connected products; phone studies concern smartphones and phone use; and studies involving excessive acquisition or hoarding-related symptoms do not describe every owner of a cherished object.
- A 2019 study of technological possessions reported that digital contents were often a primary source of meaning and that participants often perceived technology as a system of products. Read the study
- A 2018 online study randomly assigned 331 participants with excessive acquisition tendencies to an inclusion or exclusion exercise. It found that stronger anthropomorphism predicted greater instrumental and sentimental value, which in turn predicted greater object attachment. The selected sample and study design do not establish a general cause of attachment among all readers. Read Li et al. (2018)
- A 2020 study found associations between facets of object attachment and hoarding symptoms, including contributions from insecure attachment, anthropomorphism, and possessions as repositories of autobiographical memories. That is not a basis for diagnosing someone who feels fond of a favorite car or computer. Read the 2020 study
- A 2018 study linked anthropomorphism dimensions with hoarding behaviors, with adult anthropomorphism and anthropomorphism toward personally owned objects among the strongest predictors in its regression analyses. This was an association in that study, not a universal rule. Read Burgess, Graves, and Frost
None of these findings supplies a reliable estimate of how many people feel emotionally attached specifically to cars or computers.
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Does attachment make technology use unsafe?
Affection for a car or computer is not inherently unsafe. A narrower caution comes from research on smartphones: a 2017 study reported that anxious smartphone attachment predicted anthropomorphic beliefs, reliance or “clinginess” toward phones, and an urge to answer in dangerous situations. Read Bodford, Kwan, and Sobota (2017)
In a separate study, Weller and colleagues assessed phone attachment, risk perception, and phone use while driving among 1,006 young drivers aged 17–28. That sample is not evidence about drivers of every age, nor does it estimate how common attachment to cars or computers is. Read Weller et al. (2013)
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The practical point is straightforward: do not let a phone notification or urge to respond distract you while driving. That safety advice concerns phone use, not whether you care about your vehicle.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When is the feeling a concern?
Feeling sentimental about an object is not, on its own, a disorder. The studies linking object attachment with hoarding-related symptoms examined broader patterns and specific samples; they do not make attachment to one valued possession a diagnosis. If concern is about your own circumstances, focus on whether your possessions or attachment are causing significant distress or interfering with daily life, rather than on whether you feel affection for a particular object.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
