Ignorance in America (And Beyond)

[Perknose]

In heavily Faux Newz influenced America, we are, collectively, incredibly ill-informed, according to this survey:

1. Ageing population: we over-estimate the US population as much older than it actually is – the average estimate is that 35.9% of the population is 65+, when it is in fact only 14%-- a perception gap of -21.9 points.

2. Christians: in contrast, we underestimate the proportion of Christians - Americans think just over half (55.7%) of the country identify themselves as Christian compared with the actual figure of 78%%--a perception gap of -22.3 points.

3. Muslims: we hugely over-estimate the proportion of Muslims in the US – we think one in seven (15%) of people are Muslims when the actual figure is 1%--a perception gap of -14.4 points.

4. Unemployment: Americans over-estimate that nearly 32.1% of the working age population is unemployed when the actual figure is much lower at 6%-- a perception gap of -26.1 points.

5. Murder rate: Americans are dead wrong on their murder rate with 51% saying it is rising (which is incorrect) whereas only 30% think it is falling (which is correct) and 18% say they don’t know—a perception gap of -21 points.

6. Teenage pregnancy: Americans over-estimate that one quarter (23.9%) of all teenage girls aged 15-19 give birth each year, when the actual figure is only 3.1%-- a perception gap of -20.8 points.

7. Immigration: Americans over-estimate that 32.3% of the population are immigrants while the real figure is 13%-- a perception gap of -19.3 points.

8. Voting: Americans just underestimate the proportion of the electorate that voted in the last general election - the average guess is 57.1% when the official turnout was a paper thin higher at 58%-- a perception gap of .9 points.

9. Life expectancy: Americans underestimate our life expectancy thinking the average for a child born in 2014 will be 78.1 years, when the actual estimate is 80 years— a perception gap of -1.9 points.

Among this list of developed countries, only the Italians, recently ruled by the media tycoon and right-wing asshole Silvio Berlusconi*, are less ignorant. Coincidence? Perhaps not.

*Silvio Berlusconi is an Italian media tycoon and politician. He was a frequent criminal defendant, and convicted tax evader who served three times as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. Wikipedia

It MUST be added that the populace in the other countries in this survey don't exactly get high marks either. It seems fear-based ignorance promoted by the media is a plague not confined to the US.

We're just nearly the most ignorant, that's all. :\

 

[Newell Steamer]

For the 14 countries surveyed, Ipsos asked respondents to ‘guesstimate’ certain verifiable facts as a percentage or as a true/false statement, and then compared these perceptions to the reality. We then ranked a country’s accuracy by comparing these perceptions to the verified facts.

When we are asked to 'guesstimate' some of these figures, we've over estimated them,.. and you are attributing this to the media working us up in a fervor?

 

[CPA]

lol, so you're saying that the ignorance is due to Fox News, but nothing to do with ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, or MSNBC? That's rich. (don't pretend that's not what you meant by using the term Faux Newz)

But, you are right on one thing, American is stupid. Obama's own team even banked on the stupidity.

 

[Perknose]

lol, so you're saying that the ignorance is due to Fox News, but nothing to do with ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, or MSNBC? That's rich. (don't pretend that's not what you meant by using the term Faux Newz)

I never said it had nothing to do with the rest of the media.

Here's what I said, bolded and underlined for your reading comprehension:

In heavily Faux Newz influenced America...

[...]

It seems fear-based ignorance promoted by the media is a plague not confined to the US.

If you really don't think Fox News is a heavy influence in promoting American ignorance, then let me shove just today's instance in your face: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2407800

Most all mass media promotes fear, promoting ignorance, but Fox New is THE WORST, HANDS DOWN, amongst major media players.

Your either stupid or intellectually dishonest twisting of what I wrote is a prime example of such arrant ignorance.

 

[PokerGuy]

Apparently OP's analysis skills don't outpace those of the population he thinks is ignorant. Last I checked, only a small percentage of the population watches fox news, but somehow fox news influencing that tiny fraction of the population is to blame for the collective ignorance of the country. Yep. Surely nothing to do with our NEA-union led public school system, nothing to do with the rest of the media that is watched by a way more significant portion of the population (ABC+CBS+NBC etc), nothing to do with parental disinterest in education of their kids, nothing to do with uneducated masses entering the country illegally, nope, it's fox news. Of course. Brilliant!

 

[Atreus21]

In heavily Faux Newz influenced America, we are, collectively, incredibly ill-informed, according to this survey:



Among this list of developed countries, only the Italians, recently ruled by the media tycoon and right-wing asshole Silvio Berlusconi*, are less ignorant. Coincidence? Perhaps not.

*Silvio Berlusconi is an Italian media tycoon and politician. He was a frequent criminal defendant, and convicted tax evader who served three times as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. Wikipedia

It MUST be added that the populace in the other countries in this survey don't exactly get high marks either. It seems fear-based ignorance promoted by the media is a plague not confined to the US.

We're just nearly the most ignorant, that's all. :\

Did the survey compare perceived percentage of homosexuals in the US with the actual percentage?

 

[Perknose]

When we are asked to 'guesstimate' some of these figures, we've over estimated them,.. and you are attributing this to the media working us up in a fervor?

Fear-based innumeracy is a contagion undergirded by fear-based media consumption, yes. In many basic cases, people so wildly overestimate the "problem", it is by a clear ORDER OF FUCKING MAGNITUDE.

Why do you think this is?

 

[PokerGuy]

If you really don't think Fox News is a heavy influence in promoting American ignorance, then let me shove just today's instance in your face: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2407800

LOL, so Ted Cruz says something and it's an example of Fox News heavy influence on the population, even though it is only watched by a tiny fraction of the population? More brilliance!

 

[ivwshane]

Apparently OP's analysis skills don't outpace those of the population he thinks is ignorant. Last I checked, only a small percentage of the population watches fox news, but somehow fox news influencing that tiny fraction of the population is to blame for the collective ignorance of the country. Yep. Surely nothing to do with our NEA-union led public school system, nothing to do with the rest of the media that is watched by a way more significant portion of the population (ABC+CBS+NBC etc), nothing to do with parental disinterest in education of their kids, nothing to do with uneducated masses entering the country illegally, nope, it's fox news. Of course. Brilliant!

It has to do with reading comprehension, which you clearly lack. He said fear based media, as in all media.

 

[Zaap]

Apparently OP's analysis skills don't outpace those of the population he thinks is ignorant. Last I checked, only a small percentage of the population watches fox news, but somehow fox news influencing that tiny fraction of the population is to blame for the collective ignorance of the country. Yep. Surely nothing to do with our NEA-union led public school system, nothing to do with the rest of the media that is watched by a way more significant portion of the population (ABC+CBS+NBC etc), nothing to do with parental disinterest in education of their kids, nothing to do with uneducated masses entering the country illegally, nope, it's fox news. Of course. Brilliant!

Heh. Personally I liked how a guy who left office 3 years ago is responsible for Italy's results today, but the guy currently in office in the US of course gets a free pass.


I don't much like Miley Cyrus of whatever passes for music she squawks but too many of my felllow Americans do. OMG!!! The Cyrusization of America has made us incredibly ill-informed about demographic statistics!!!!!!!

The random blame-game is so much fun and so liberating from having to use actual thought!

 

[PokerGuy]

It has to do with reading comprehension, which you clearly lack. He said fear based media, as in all media.

He specifically pointed the finger at fox news (or rather, faux newz). I'd love to see analysis of how roughly 1.8 million people (I'll help you out, that's roughly 0.6% of the population) watching fox news each night has any kind of measurable impact on the overall ignorance of the population, while the 90% of the entire population going through a public education system run by unions has no influence. Brilliant!

 

[cubby1223]

Fox News, according to ratings, is watched by 2 million people on any given night. That's less than 1% of the U.S. population.

So I am curious what the greater cause of so much ignorance is!

 

[cubby1223]

2. Christians: in contrast, we underestimate the proportion of Christians - Americans think just over half (55.7%) of the country identify themselves as Christian compared with the actual figure of 78%%--a perception gap of -22.3 points.

I consider myself Christian, but I also don't talk about religion to others and attend a church service once every 2-3 years, nor do I ever turn to God for answers/hope/inspiration/whatever else. For all intents and purposes, I can easily be defined as non-Christian by another person.

4. Unemployment: Americans over-estimate that nearly 32.1% of the working age population is unemployed when the actual figure is much lower at 6%-- a perception gap of -26.1 points.

The unemployment rate of 6% is defined as the number of people who are unemployed and actively seeking work.

Individuals who are neither employed nor actively seeking work for a week's period of time, do not count towards the unemployed nor the labor force count. Even a person who lost a 40hr/wk job and now mows one lawn for own hour weekly is considered employed, whereas every rational person knows this person is unemployed.

The ignorant people are those who take that 6% stat at face value.

7. Immigration: Americans over-estimate that 32.3% of the population are immigrants while the real figure is 13%-- a perception gap of -19.3 points.

Are we talking 13% of the citizen population, or 13% of the bodies currently existing within U.S. borders?



There are a lot of perceptions in this country that could be better and more accurate. But 3 things:
(1) claiming Fox News is the heavy influential factor is most likely ignorance on your part. Please do break down the results to Fox News viewers and non-Fox News viewers and let's see the results.
(2) most of the items of this survey are not relevant in the least to the day-to-day lives of individuals. I fully expect more guesses than accuracy. And that is okay.
(3) I also expect countries with a smaller land area and smaller population to be more accurate in demographic perceptions simply because in larger countries the percentage of the nation the individual is personally exposed to is much much smaller, leaving a much larger percentage to leave up to guesswork.

 

[ElFenix]

8. Voting: Americans just underestimate the proportion of the electorate that voted in the last general election - the average guess is 57.1% when the official turnout was a paper thin higher at 58%-- a perception gap of .9 points.

pretty sure that was 36.4%.

 

[alcoholbob]

Some of these numbers are easily explained. 13.5% of the population being immigrants (OP's numbers are rounded down) actually come from the government's numbers as those defined as "foreign-born", however anchor-babies who are born and live in ethnic enclaves, Americans just assume they are immigrants as well.

Unemployment perception is over-exaggerated, although there's also public vs government perception difference in what constitutes unemployment due to changes in the measure of the official unemployment rate--it's like those leftists who think the government deficit is only 400 billion this year just because they increased the amount on the off-balance books when the official deficit rose over a trillion.

 

[Atreus21]

pretty sure that was 36.4%.

Was the last election a general election? honest question, because I don't know.

58% turnout is astronomically high for just about any election these days.

 

[Jaskalas]

7. Immigration: Americans over-estimate that 32.3% of the population are immigrants while the real figure is 13%-- a perception gap of -19.3 points.

1.86 births per woman
Sub-replacement fertility: 2.1 children

When we reach 400 million, that'll be 25%.

 

[Zaap]

1.86 births per woman
Sub-replacement fertility: 2.1 children

When we reach 400 million, that'll be 25%.

I'm sure I'm missing something but how does this relate to immigration?

 

[ElFenix]

Some of these numbers are easily explained. 13.5% of the population being immigrants (OP's numbers are rounded down) actually come from the government's numbers as those defined as "foreign-born", however anchor-babies who are born and live in ethnic enclaves, Americans just assume they are immigrants as well.

7. Immigration: Americans over-estimate that 32.3% of the population are immigrants while the real figure is 13%-- a perception gap of -19.3 points.

so, 1 in 5 people in america are anchor babies?

Unemployment perception is over-exaggerated, although there's also public vs government perception difference in what constitutes unemployment due to changes in the measure of the official unemployment rate

please let us know what that change was and when it happened.

--it's like those leftists who think the government deficit is only 400 billion this year just because they increased the amount on the off-balance books when the official deficit rose over a trillion.

going to need substantiation for this as well

 

[ElFenix]

Was the last election a general election? honest question, because I don't know.

58% turnout is astronomically high for just about any election these days.

per dictionary

a regular election of candidates for office, as opposed to a primary election.

 

[Jaskalas]

I'm sure I'm missing something but how does this relate to immigration?

Our entire population increase is from immigration, due to a low birth rate. So that little statistic of 13% doesn't really tell the whole story.

 

[ivwshane]

He specifically pointed the finger at fox news (or rather, faux newz). I'd love to see analysis of how roughly 1.8 million people (I'll help you out, that's roughly 0.6% of the population) watching fox news each night has any kind of measurable impact on the overall ignorance of the population, while the 90% of the entire population going through a public education system run by unions has no influence. Brilliant!

Nope, wrong again! He said, "In heavily Faux Newz influenced America". Not only does fox have the largest audience of all the major news networks but all the rest of the news networks are trying to beat them in ratings and most have gone to a fox stylized format, meaning they lead their stories with fear and sensationalism.

I know you get butt hurt when people just mention the name fox because it's usually followed by a complaint but having good reading comprehension could have protected you from the unecssisary butt hurt

 

[alcoholbob]

so, 1 in 5 people in america are anchor babies?


please let us know what that change was and when it happened.


going to need substantiation for this as well

You need substantiation to do a basic algebra calculation of the official national debt? Dear goodness Common Core has has destroyed basic problem solving skills...

 

[werepossum]

In heavily Faux Newz influenced America, we are, collectively, incredibly ill-informed, according to this survey:



Among this list of developed countries, only the Italians, recently ruled by the media tycoon and right-wing asshole Silvio Berlusconi*, are less ignorant. Coincidence? Perhaps not.

*Silvio Berlusconi is an Italian media tycoon and politician. He was a frequent criminal defendant, and convicted tax evader who served three times as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. Wikipedia

It MUST be added that the populace in the other countries in this survey don't exactly get high marks either. It seems fear-based ignorance promoted by the media is a plague not confined to the US.

We're just nearly the most ignorant, that's all. :\

You say

Among this list of developed countries, only the Italians, recently ruled by the media tycoon and right-wing asshole Silvio Berlusconi*, are less ignorant.​

but your chart "shows" that only Italians are MORE ignorant, at least for the defined value of ignorance here.

You must watch a LOT of Fox News to make that mistake.

 

[Mai72]

American ignorance comes from a few things.

1) Americans don't read.
2) Americans watch 30 plus hours of TV a week.
3) Americans don't travel.