January and February 2011

General

• By 2030, all of the Baby Boomer generation will be age 65 and older.
• The range of costs for Americans’ weddings in 2010 include: more than $10,000 (26%); $5,001 – $10,000 (19%); $1,001 to $5,000 (30%); $501 to $1,000 (5%); $1 to $500 (18%); and nothing (2%).
• Financial issues that married couples fight about include how much money to spend on various items (49%); how much debt to carry (33%); how much to keep in savings for emergencies (26%); how much to invest (15%); and how much or where to donate money (10%).
• More than one-half of 13-14-year-old social media influencers (56%) – the most active and engaged social media users – say they are scared, anxious, or upset when their parents “friend” them online. In comparison, only 27% of 18-19-year-old social media influencers have this reaction to their parents “friend” request.
• Three-quarters of college students (74%) prefer printed instead of digital textbooks, which helps explain why only 2-3% of textbook sales are in the digital format.
• Some 64% of women nearing milestone birthdays (ages 30, 40, 50, and 60) take action to look younger, including coloring their hair (43%); wearing makeup (36%); buying expensive skincare products (16%); and shopping for younger-looking outfits in the juniors department (7%). Some women also lie about their age (5%) and/or stopped celebrating birthdays (2%).
• For men, the “honeymoon period” with their new car (before they engage in risky behavior such as parking near other cars or hauling around dirty items) lasts an average of four months. For women, the honeymoon is approximately 14 months before they allow their spouse to drive their vehicle or they use it to carpool other people’s children.
• Six in ten 18-34-year-olds (60%) have texted someone while talking to another person, compared to 24% of those ages 35 and older.
• The U.S. poverty rate jumped to 14.3% in 2009, its highest level since 1994, and the 43.6 million Americans in need is the highest number in 51 years of record-keeping, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
• One-half of Americans (49%) don’t think it is possible to simply work hard and get rich from that work. One in five (20%) believe that today’s children will be better off than their parents, down from 27% in January 2009.
• Three-quarters of parents (76%) have friended their teenage child on a social network, but 29% of teens would unfriend their parent if they felt they had the choice.
• Emerging majorities were more likely to donate to relief efforts in Haiti following the earthquake in January 2010. This included 59% of Asians, 53% of Latinos, and 51% of Blacks, compared to only 38% of Americans overall.
• To keep passion alive in their relationships, couples plan regular dates (48%), buy racy lingerie (40%), and simply turn off the television (37%).
• Shoppers are three times as likely to use coupons to save money and spend less (75%) than to be able to afford more items (25%).
• Some 27.7% of Americans own a pickup truck. Truck owners spend an average of two hours and 51 minutes listening to the radio, which is 10% higher than the average. They also spend 63 minutes exposed to outdoor advertising compared to 53 minutes for the average American adult.
• Some 62% of American TV viewers watched time-shifted programming in 2010, up from 61% in 2009.
• Four in 10 smartphone owners who use apps (40%) say they refer to their apps when making a shopping decision. Some 32% report they are more likely to buy from  companies that advertise in an app than one that does not.
• Forty four percent of Americans carry credit card debt. Some 83% know the interest rate on the card they use the most, and while 93% know they can negotiate a better rate, 65% have not bothered to do so.
• Of the 82% of TV viewers who multitask with their computers while watching shows, 31% say they would do so less often if they had access to Internet applications from their TV set.
• For 58% of Americans, email is their first online destination each day. Some 20% first go to a search engine or portal; 11% go to Facebook; 5% go to a news site; 3% go to their company’s website or intranet; and 3 % go to another destination.
• Some 88% of Americans use email every day. By comparison, 42% of Americans visit Facebook daily.
• Parents spend 16.8 hours in a typical week playing with their children aged 12 years and younger. Mothers spend slightly more hours (17.3 hours) than fathers (16.3 hours) playing with their kids. Some 48% of parents say they feel guilty for not sending more time with their kids.

• More than one in five Spanish-speaking Hispanics (22%) did not eat at a fast food restaurant in the prior month, per a recent Sandelman & Associates survey. This is up from 4% in 2005. Over the same period, heavy fast-food users (those who eat fast food at least 12 times a month) dropped from 41% to 31%.
• More than one-half of working moms (52%) say they would stay home with their children if they had the means to do so; 30% are the sole breadwinners for their families.
• Two-thirds of clients (67%) ask their divorce lawyers for advice in informing their children about the divorce.
• One in five Whites (20%) with a sleep disorder most commonly suffer from insomnia or restless leg syndrome, while 19% of Blacks suffer from sleep apnea.
• Three-quarters of women (75%) have experienced a lack of sexual desire at least occasionally, but only 14% have ever discussed it with their doctor.
• Americans who visit fast food restaurants are more likely than average to participate in sports, including soccer (25% more likely), basketball (25% more likely), and tennis (18% more likely). In addition, they are 14% more likely to belong to a health or fitness club.
• While most parents are aware that doctors can detect a vision problem before a child is one year old, only 19% take their children for an eye exam before their first birthday.
• Three-quarters of workers (74%) do not like spending so much time sitting at work. Women spend an average of 27 hours a week sitting in front of a computer or mobile device; men spend 23 hours.
• The majority of Americans (85%) exercise at least one day a week, with 74% working out at home and 20% going to a gym.
• Most smokers (54%) say they would not stop smoking if higher taxes were levied on cigarettes, compared to 16% who say they would be very likely to quit based on higher taxes.

• Some 88% of employers offer financial education related to retirement. Only 28% offer basic financial education programs focusing on budgeting, debt reduction and credit management.
• Most customers of credit unions (57%) say they trust their financial institution, compared to 36% of big bank customers who trust their financial institutions. This may help explain why 10% of big bank customers switched to a credit union in 2009.
• People who read email via their mobile device or smartphone spend 15% more time reading email than do those who read on a personal computer.

• Americans spent an average of $5,477 on gas and automotive expenses in 2009. This breaks down to $3,269 for vehicles and maintenance, and $2,208 for gasoline.
• There are 682,000 cars, 116,000 taxis and 70,000 trucks traveling New York City daily, at an average speed of eight miles per hour.
• The average size of an American home was 2,422 square feet in 2009, down slightly from 2,473 in 2008. In 1980 the average size was only 1,700 square feet.
• One-half of the world’s population – 3 billion people – lives in urban areas. Nearly 180,000 people move into cities each day, adding about 60 million new urban dwellers each year.
• Some 74% of U.S. likely voters favor having the federal government require the auto industry to increase average fuel efficiency to 60 miles per gallon by the year 2025. This number only drops to 66% when respondents are told this would add $3,000 to the cost of a new car.

Advertising

• By 2030, all of the Baby Boomer generation will be age 65 and older.
• More than one-half of 13-14-year-old social media influencers (56%) – the most active and engaged social media users – say they are scared, anxious, or upset when their parents “friend” them online. In comparison, only 27% of 18-19-year-old social media influencers have this reaction to their parents “friend” request.
• Some 64% of women nearing milestone birthdays (ages 30, 40, 50, and 60) take action to look younger, including coloring their hair (43%); wearing makeup (36%); buying expensive skincare products (16%); and shopping for younger-looking outfits in the juniors department (7%). Some women also lie about their age (5%) and/or stopped celebrating birthdays (2%).
• For men, the “honeymoon period” with their new car (before they engage in risky behavior such as parking near other cars or hauling around dirty items) lasts an average of four months. For women, the honeymoon is approximately 14 months before they allow their spouse to drive their vehicle or they use it to carpool other people’s children.
• Six in ten 18-34-year-olds (60%) have texted someone while talking to another person, compared to 24% of those ages 35 and older.
• The U.S. poverty rate jumped to 14.3% in 2009, its highest level since 1994, and the 43.6 million Americans in need is the highest number in 51 years of record-keeping, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
• One-half of Americans (49%) don’t think it is possible to simply work hard and get rich from that work. One in five (20%) believe that today’s children will be better off than their parents, down from 27% in January 2009.
• Three-quarters of parents (76%) have friended their teenage child on a social network, but 29% of teens would unfriend their parent if they felt they had the choice.
• Shoppers are three times as likely to use coupons to save money and spend less (75%) than to be able to afford more items (25%).
• Some 27.7% of Americans own a pickup truck. Truck owners spend an average of two hours and 51 minutes listening to the radio, which is 10% higher than the average. They also spend 63 minutes exposed to outdoor advertising compared to 53 minutes for the average American adult.
• Some 62% of American TV viewers watched time-shifted programming in 2010, up from 61% in 2009.
• Four in 10 smartphone owners who use apps (40%) say they refer to their apps when making a shopping decision. Some 32% report they are more likely to buy from  companies that advertise in an app than one that does not.
• Forty four percent of Americans carry credit card debt. Some 83% know the interest rate on the card they use the most, and while 93% know they can negotiate a better rate, 65% have not bothered to do so.
• Of the 82% of TV viewers who multitask with their computers while watching shows, 31% say they would do so less often if they had access to Internet applications from their TV set.
• For 58% of Americans, email is their first online destination each day. Some 20% first go to a search engine or portal; 11% go to Facebook; 5% go to a news site; 3% go to their company’s website or intranet; and 3 % go to another destination.
• Some 88% of Americans use email every day. By comparison, 42% of Americans visit Facebook daily.

Healthcare

• By 2030, all of the Baby Boomer generation will be age 65 and older.
• The U.S. poverty rate jumped to 14.3% in 2009, its highest level since 1994, and the 43.6 million Americans in need is the highest number in 51 years of record-keeping, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
• Parents spend 16.8 hours in a typical week playing with their children aged 12 years and younger. Mothers spend slightly more hours (17.3 hours) than fathers (16.3 hours) playing with their kids. Some 48% of parents say they feel guilty for not sending more time with their kids.
• More than one in five Spanish-speaking Hispanics (22%) did not eat at a fast food restaurant in the prior month, per a recent Sandelman & Associates survey. This is up from 4% in 2005. Over the same period, heavy fast-food users (those who eat fast food at least 12 times a month) dropped from 41% to 31%.
• More than one-half of working moms (52%) say they would stay home with their children if they had the means to do so; 30% are the sole breadwinners for their families.
• Two-thirds of clients (67%) ask their divorce lawyers for advice in informing their children about the divorce.
• One in five Whites (20%) with a sleep disorder most commonly suffer from insomnia or restless leg syndrome, while 19% of Blacks suffer from sleep apnea.
• Three-quarters of women (75%) have experienced a lack of sexual desire at least occasionally, but only 14% have ever discussed it with their doctor.
• Americans who visit fast food restaurants are more likely than average to participate in sports, including soccer (25% more likely), basketball (25% more likely), and tennis (18% more likely). In addition, they are 14% more likely to belong to a health or fitness club.
• While most parents are aware that doctors can detect a vision problem before a child is one year old, only 19% take their children for an eye exam before their first birthday.
• Three-quarters of workers (74%) do not like spending so much time sitting at work. Women spend an average of 27 hours a week sitting in front of a computer or mobile device; men spend 23 hours.
• The majority of Americans (85%) exercise at least one day a week, with 74% working out at home and 20% going to a gym.
• Most smokers (54%) say they would not stop smoking if higher taxes were levied on cigarettes, compared to 16% who say they would be very likely to quit based on higher taxes.

B2B

• Some 88% of employers offer financial education related to retirement. Only 28% offer basic financial education programs focusing on budgeting, debt reduction and credit management.
• Most customers of credit unions (57%) say they trust their financial institution, compared to 36% of big bank customers who trust their financial institutions. This may help explain why 10% of big bank customers switched to a credit union in 2009.
• People who read email via their mobile device or smartphone spend 15% more time reading email than do those who read on a personal computer.

Energy

• Americans spent an average of $5,477 on gas and automotive expenses in 2009. This breaks down to $3,269 for vehicles and maintenance, and $2,208 for gasoline.
• There are 682,000 cars, 116,000 taxis and 70,000 trucks traveling New York City daily, at an average speed of eight miles per hour.
• The average size of an American home was 2,422 square feet in 2009, down slightly from 2,473 in 2008. In 1980 the average size was only 1,700 square feet.
• One-half of the world’s population – 3 billion people – lives in urban areas. Nearly 180,000 people move into cities each day, adding about 60 million new urban dwellers each year.
• Some 74% of U.S. likely voters favor having the federal government require the auto industry to increase average fuel efficiency to 60 miles per gallon by the year 2025. This number only drops to 66% when respondents are told this would add $3,000 to the cost of a new car.