Just in time for the candy-filled end of spooky season, Chapman University has released its annual survey of American horror for 2024. For the ninth year in a row, fear of corrupt government officials topped the list.
“This year, all of the top 10 fears were expressed by more than half of Americans, and many remained high across the rest of the survey,” said Christopher Bader, a sociologist at Chapman University. stated in a statement. “This shows that Americans are generally more fearful of everything.”
[Related: How horror movie soundtracks prey on our fears.]
in investigation1,008 people across the United States were asked about 85 fears, including natural disasters, crime, ghosts, and public speaking. Here’s what Americans are most concerned about in 2024.
Corrupt government officials – 65.2%
A loved one becomes seriously ill – 58.4%
Cyber terrorism – 58.3%
A loved one dies – 57.8%
Russia uses nuclear weapons – 55.8%
Not enough money for the future – 55.7%
US drawn into new world war – 55% [TIED]
North Korea uses nuclear weapons – 55% [TIED]
Terrorist attack – 52.7%
Biological warfare – 52.5%
According to Baderrecent world events have caused fear of war and terrorist attacks, and the top six fears are related to war and fear of war. Interestingly, fear of running out of money dropped to number 10 on the list in 2023, but returned to number 6 in 2024. Anxiety related to climate change remained consistent year over year, with approximately 49% of Americans saying they are afraid or very afraid of the effects of climate change.
Unsurprisingly, the survey results also heighten political anxiety, as the country faces a divisive presidential election in the coming weeks. More than half of Americans (51.6%) are concerned about the outcome of the election, and 48.6% of respondents are concerned about the possibility of social unrest after the results.
“Fear of government corruption is consistently one of the greatest fears expressed by Americans,” Steve Pfaff, a sociologist at Chapman University, said in a statement. “What this tells us is that there is a deep sense of mistrust. Americans are concerned about their government and fear that powerful and resourceful interests will have undue influence over it.” ”
The study also found how the sources people get their information from have changed over time, and not for the better. Also, Read the full survey results.
[Related: How to learn to not fear heights.]
“Social media and websites target people by showing them what they fear,” Bader said. “We think that people are being instilled with fear through algorithms, which increases their overall fear level.”
This nationally representative survey conducted by SSRS for Chapman utilizes a probability-based methodology. The survey was conducted online in the spring of 2024. There were 1,008 respondents and the margin of error was +/- 4%.
