Are Surveys a Thing of the Past?

Recently I read a quick article in the New York Times entitled "Why People Hate Taking Surveys," just hearing this title made me think of the last time I was asked to take a survey and how quickly I shot down the opportunity. Unexpectedly the article (which can be found here) cited different reasons than I had expected as to why American's are growing less and less likely to respond to surveys. The article quoted one woman who said "One time when I asked a pollster who was sponsoring the poll, she would not tell me. If she couldn't be honest with me, why should I talk to her?" and another man that said "most 'pollsters' are sales campaigners." The first woman had clear distrust with the pollster and this caused her to turn down the survey. The man on the other hand had a distrust in the intentions of the pollster. He does not believe that the pollster is really calling for the reasons they say the are. I was astonished that the article argued for distrust to be the reason people hate surveys. I was certain that the leading reason would be American's lack of time. 

We have all heard the saying "time is money" and I would argue that today this is becoming more and more true. American's can now do nearly anything while on the go through their smart phones and just about everything seems to be getting more and more rushed. I can't remember the last time I did not turn down a sales call because I had more important things that needed to get done than listen to an automated voice or respond to a few questions. American's becoming more hurried is a trend that I believe we will see continue to grow in the years to come and in turn this will make survey less desirable. How does limited time affect you? Do you think time is a larger or smaller factor in the decline of surveys than distrust?

Horse Races: Love of the Sport or Love of Gambling?

With the Belmont stakes coming up this weekend and California Chrome striving to be the first Triple Crown winner in recent years it has made me think about why people put so much hype around a sporting event that last two to three minutes at most. On the day of the Kentucky Derby there was hours on end of TV time taking up solely for broadcasting pre-race, during race and post race coverage. If stations are willing to take up this much time then the races must be bringing in a substantial amount of viewers.

When I think of horse racing the first thing that comes to mind is gambling. And as I try to piece together why the two go hand and hand all that I can find is that people needed an added thrill so that they could love the sport of horse racing. Yes, there are amazing comebacks. Yes, there are underdogs. And yes, sometimes there is devastation during races but horse racing is not all that exciting until you have some of your own money riding on those horses. Is it American culture that gives us the thrill of gambling or is it just part of being a human being?

Concussions: A National Problem

Just the other day President Barrack Obama held a conference in the White House addressing the growing national problem of concussions. The NFL has seen a drastic number of concussions in the past years. In the past years ex-NFL players have been seen developing dementia early and also many of these ex-players have committed suicide. Obama wants to make an impact and create a safer sport with out changing the game or convincing parents to stop their children from playing contact sports.  Obama stressed that he himself enjoys the sport and that he believes it is immensely important for children to grow up staying active.

What I find most interesting is that Obama said that sports are  "fundamental to who we are as Americans". Obama no matter how dangerous these sports are they will never go away because of the deep rooted tradition they have in American culture, and Obama is completely aware of this.  This is why Obama made a point to push for better safety in terms of equipment and rules. This way Americans are able to continue to play the sports that they love but the growth in safety will be there. What are your opinions on safety in high contact sports?