Most Americans are worried about an apocalypse. But different ones.
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: Last year, we got a question from a client in the financial services sector. They’d been doing some qualitative work and noticed something funny: Everyone they talked to was freaking out about some major catastrophe, but there were a lot of different ones people were focused on. Was it possible, they wondered, to somehow segment out our apocalyptic tendencies?
What we found: And yes, still possible. I unfortunately blew up the trend line by adding a couple of (really popular) new apocalypses: The collapse of the U.S. democracy and the collapse of the U.S. economy. Those options drew some votes away from climate change and World War III. Killer robots are still slipping under the radar (again, just as they want it). But I will note the one thing we can trend: None of these. That holds steady at just 1 in 10. Which means that our overall angst about the world maybe ending remains constant, if perhaps shifting its focus.
More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:
Most Americans think a recession is coming
The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about
