The way we were in 2021
We worried about the pandemic and partisanship but found escape in smartphones and snacks
How are we feeling?
Divided and discontented. 74% are angry about the state of the nation (CNN/SSRS) and only 14% think our democracy is doing well (USA Today/ Ipsos). 46% think a civil war is likely (Zogby Analytics) and 52% of Trump voters and 41% of Biden voters believe it might be best to split the country (University of Virginia). Financial problems are adding to our bleak mood. 70% say the economy is doing badly (The Washington Post/ABCNews) and 55% that inflation has made it difficult to afford food. Many of us can’t stop worrying about Covid. 24% think the pandemic will never end (The Economist/YouGov) and 32% say they’re so stressed out by the coronavirus that it’s a struggle to decide what to wear and what to eat (American Psychological Association). Yet despite all this misery, 59% of Americans say they’re currently “thriving”—the highest number in more than 13 years (Gallup).
Who do we blame for our woes?
The man in the Oval Office. 58% say President Biden hasn’t paid enough attention to the nation’s most important problems (CNN/ SSRS), 56% that he’s not a strong leader, and 60% that he lacks energy (Politico/Morning Consult). We’re also not impressed with his former colleagues on Capitol Hill. 60% disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job (Harvard University/Harris Poll) and 58% are ready to dump their local representative in the 2022 midterms (The Washington Post/ABCNews). Some take an even dimmer view of government; 20% believe it’s using Covid vaccines to microchip the population (The Economist/YouGov), and 15% that it’s controlled by a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles (PRRI).
How has society changed?
In some ways, we’re more open-minded. An unprecedented 70% now support same-sex marriage, 67% say having a baby outside of marriage is morally acceptable, and 20% are OK with polygamy (Gallup). 63% oppose laws that would limit transgender rights (NPR/PBS NewsHour), but 72% say there are only two genders and 62% that people should stick with the gender they that had at birth (Harvard University/Harris Poll). We’re increasingly easygoing when it comes to drugs. A record high of 68% support legalizing marijuana (Gallup). But a substantial minority of Americans have no tolerance for the unvaccinated: 29% say they’ve stopped talking to friends or family members who won’t get Covid shots (The Economist/YouGov).
What are we afraid of?
Plenty. 81% worry about another deadly pandemic hitting America (Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation), 58% that a loved one might catch Covid-19, and 57% that the country could be consumed by civil unrest (Chapman University). The specter of a hot war with China has 71% of us rattled; 61% worry that a nuclear war could erupt (Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation). 57% of us believe in ghosts, 39% in visitors from other planets, and 27% in Bigfoot (OnePoll). And there are some anxious carnivores, with 26% believing that there’s a movement to ban red meat—which 59% say is essential to the American way of life (Ipsos).
What do we do to relax?
Screens figure heavily into our downtime. 46% regularly bingewatch TV for more than two hours at a time and 67% play video games, half of them for more than seven hours a week (Entertainment Software Association). But nothing commands our eyeballs like our phones, which 57% use for five or more hours a day (SellCell). 48% think they’re probably addicted to their phone (Solitaired). Snacks are another obsession: 48% have stashed treats in hiding places at home and 43% will scarf something sweet or salty when they need a mood boost (OnePoll). That might explain why 42% have put on unwanted weight since the start of the pandemic, with an average gain of 29 pounds (American Psychological Association). Still, 40% are confident they could spring from the couch and compete in at least one Olympic sport (OnePoll).