Americans are stressed but also hopeful. Here's why both are possible.

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

Why we asked about America's baseline values: It also seemed a good idea to get a new data point on this battery we ran most waves in 2024. 

What we found: We designed this somewhat catch-all battery to get a baseline on a few ideas that are relate to some core American values and or things that Americans value. As such, for the most part, those shouldn’t move too much. 

Slightly more (63%) say their religion/faith is important to them than say sports fandom is important to them (53%) but clearly some overlap in those groups. A consistently large majority (67%) say that they buy brands that align with their values – which ties neatly to the new ninth edition of Ipsos Global Trends and the trends about the Power of Trust and Escape to Individualism.  

Here’s a super interesting part. Eight in ten say that the world is changing too fast, which is about has high as we’ve seen that in the last 18 months. About six in ten say they are often stressed. And recall that half of Americans don’t have any money left after paying their bills. But somehow despite all of that, 76% are still hopeful for their future. Also, despite that hope, more 18- to 34-year-olds (63%, up four points) now say that they’re waiting to start a family until they feel more financially secure. 

Humans are tricky and complicated and capable of holding many ideas in their heads at once, even if those are contradictory. Cognitive polyphasia is the name for this, and a fun phrase to drop into cocktail party conversations. Sure, current struggles and hope for the future aren’t totally contradictory. It's, in fact, a very human response to challenges. This is also a good thing to keep in mind: How can your product or service help deliver on that much-needed hope?

More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:

Nearly half of Americans don’t have any cash left over after paying bills

The more we know about artificial sweeteners, the less we want to consume them

Americans' views on the role of government are shifting

The Ipsos Vibe Check: Here's how Americans feel about the government this week 

The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about?