Figuratively Speaking

Total value of student loan debt in the U.S., according to Intelligent.com: $1.7 trillion

Percentage of people who took out student loans more than 20 years ago who still carry college debt: 42

Among all students who attended school 20 or more years ago, percentage who still carry loan debt: 10

Source: Intelligent.com.

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they have experienced price increases since the start of 2021, according to a Bankrate.com report: 89

Percentage of these who report that the increases have negatively impacted their personal financial situations: 66

Percentage of those who experienced higher prices who say they have taken financial actions as a result: 79

Source: Bankrate.com.

Ranks of Wine.com, Overstock.com, Boohoo Group PLC, Wayfair and 1-800-Flowers.com on the list of the nation's most impactful and fastest-growing retail companies, according to the National Retail Federation's Hot 25 Retailers List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Percentage growth in Wine.com sales, with $329 million in 2020 sales nationwide, up from $165 million in 2019: 99.4

Percentage growth in Overstock.com: 74.7

Source: NRF.

Ranks of social media, parents, websites and school on the list of places teens go for information on the stock market, according to RSM U.S. LLP and Junior Achievement USA: 1, 2, 3, 4

Percentage of teens who believe the stock market is "a good thing" for ordinary people: 51

Percentage who say they only know "some" or "not much at all" about the stock market: 94

Ranks of stock market, cryptocurrency and real estate on the list of places teens would invest money if given money for that purpose: 1, 2, 3

Percentage who would choose not to invest at all: 37

Source: Junior Achievement.

Percentage of Americans who say they would be more comfortable if masks were required for all staff and customers in grocery stores, malls and other retail locations, up from 46% who said the same in June, according a survey by Ipsos: 61

Percentage who also say they'd be more comfortable if all staff had their vaccination status checked: 55

Percentage who said they want all customers' vaccination status checked: 44

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Estimated number of kids using e-cigarettes, including nearly 1 in 5 high school students, according to research by the National PTA and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: 3.6 million

Source: National PTA.

Percentage of consumers who said they would be uncomfortable purchasing insurance without speaking to a human being, according to a survey commissioned by Policygenius: 72

Percentage who would be uncomfortable filing claims on a website or app without human interaction: 64

Percentage who said they would rather switch insurance companies than let artificial intelligence review their claims: 60

Source: Policygenius.

Number of extra minutes of sleep per night that can make you happier and healthier, according to the American Psychology Association and data compiled by Sleep Advisor: 60 to 90

Number of times per night we dream, though we forget 95% to 99% of our dreams the next morning, according to researcher G. William Domhoff: 4 to 6

Number of degrees our body's temperature drops every night, so it's perfectly normal to feel a bit chilly, according to WebMD: 1 to 2

Estimated percentage of all car crash accidents and injuries that are associated with sleepiness, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information: 20

Source: Sleep Advisor.

Percentage of those not already receiving Social Security who don't have a clear sense of how much they will receive in Social Security income, according to a poll conducted for the Nationwide Retirement Institute: 51

Percentage who don't know that Social Security may offer benefits for spouses and children: 30

Percentage who mistakenly believe if they claim early, their benefits will go up automatically when reaching full retirement age or who don't know this is false: 45

Source: Nationwide.

Idle Thought

Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something. -- Gertrude Stein, novelist, poet and playwright (1874-1946)

(EDITOS: If you have editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker, chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Among first-time buyers, the percentage of total income that payments on a mortgage loan with a 10% down payment would comprise, according to the National Association of Realtors: 25

Number of metro areas in which a family would need more than $100,000 to affordably pay a 10% down payment on a mortgage: 17

Source: National Association of Realtors.

Percentage of women who said they would turn down a job that didn't offer some work from home, according to a survey by CareerBuilder.com: 22

Percentage of men who said the same: 14

Percentage of women who applied for a job outside their geographic region based on remote work expectations: 36

Percentage of men who did the same: 27

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of parents who feel just as pressured to overspend on shopping trips for school supplies as they do on winter holiday shopping, according to a CreditCards.com survey from Bankrate: 36

Source: Bankrate Inc.

Percentage of American workers who say they have experienced unsafe working conditions, according to AllVoices: 52

Percentage who have left an organization because of unsafe conditions: 41

Source: AllVoices.

Percentage of home ownership in the United States accounted for by single women, according to TaskRabbit: 22

Percentage accounted for by single men: 13

Source: TaskRabbit.

Percentage of small-business owners across the U.S. who say they were not impacted by COVID, according to a study by Cargo: 52

Percentage who are considering a business "pivot" to some extent: 90

Percentage of respondents who are considering a complete business reinvention: 39

Source: Cargo Magazine.

As evolving mask and vaccine mandates wreak havoc with back-to-office plans, percentage of Americans who support their state and local governments requiring that masks be worn in all public places, according to an Ipsos poll: 64

Percentage who support their local school districts requiring teachers, students and administrators to wear masks in schools: 69

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, percentage of the U.S. workforce that was forced to become temporarily remote, nearly triple the 13% of workers who reported working remotely prior to the pandemic, according to research by ADP Research Institute: 35

On average, percentage of their typical day that on-site workers say they spend on work-related communication and meetings (compared to the 25% spent by remote workers): 15

Source: ADP.

In 2024, potential market opportunity for U.S. cloud gaming services, according to research by Parks Associates: $3.6 billion

Percentage of console gamers who play games on at least one other platform: 91

Percentage who play on a PC, mobile device and a connected TV device (smart TV or streaming media player) in addition to their console: 37

Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of teens (including 79% from rural communities) who believe that the government should play an important role in providing broadband access to all, according to a survey by National 4-H Council, the Harris Poll and the 4-H Tech Changemakers coalition: 74

Despite a rising need for high-speed internet, percentage drop in access to reliable high-speed internet over the last two years: 8

Percentage of youth who have reliable access in 2021, compared with 77% in 2019: 69

Source: National 4-H Council.

Idle Thought

"Nonviolence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages." -- Thomas Edison, inventor (1847-1931)

(EDITOS: If you have editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker, chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Percentage of U.S. adults who currently have unused gift cards, vouchers or store credits, totaling roughly $15 billion in outstanding value, according to a Bankrate.com report: 51

Of those with unused gift cards, vouchers or store credits, the average value per person: $116

Source: Bankrate.com.

Number of nights of less than six hours of sleep it takes to significantly hurt mental and physical well-being, according to research by Global Wellness Institute: 1

Number of consecutive days of sleep loss it takes for the severity of emotional and physical issues (body aches, gastrointestinal issues and respiratory problems) to become severe: 3

Number of days it takes before mental and physical health is significantly deteriorated: 6

Source: Global Wellness Institute.

Despite numerous challenges over the past year, percentage of Americans who are optimistic about the next six to 18 months, according to research commissioned by the Contact Lens Institute: 59

Percentage of all people who said a lack of funds was among the greatest obstacles to pursuing their dreams: 49

Source: Contact Lens Institute.

Percentage of Americans who support the idea of a vaccine passport, with baby boomers being the least likely to support this concept, according to research by UpgradedPoints.com: 82

Percentage who are not in favor of airlines, hotels and travel companies requiring proof of vaccination: 45

Source: UpgradedPoints.com.

In the U.S., ranks of gymnastics, aquatics, track and field, basketball and baseball on the list of Olympic events Americans were most interested in, according to research by Ipsos: 1, 2, 3, 4(tie)

Globally, rank of soccer as the Olympic event with the most interest: 1

Source: Ipsos Global.

Percentage of parents who say that COVID-19 has changed the way they plan to spend money on education, according to a WalletHub survey: 67

Ranks of the job market and debt on the list of parents' concerns for their kids after graduation: 1, 2

Source: WalletHub.

In the first six months of 2021, percentage of people who made a nearly full return to in-person fitness and wellness experiences, according to ClassPass Comeback Report: 90

Percentage of people who say access to equipment is one of the main reasons they are heading back to the gym and studio: 66

Percentage of people who say in-person classes and appointments are better for their mental health than an at-home digital routine: 60

Source: ClassPass.

Percentage increase in telemedicine-as-a-service (typified when services are delivered via a third-party platform, and there is no pre-existing relationship between the patient and health care providers) in February 2020, compared with prior to the pandemic, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute: 87

Number of times higher that telemedicine-as-a-medium visits (exemplified by a patient using videoconferencing or remote monitoring technologies to engage with a doctor with whom the patient has an existing relationship) were in April 2020 than pre-pandemic: 50

Source: EBRI.

Percentage of currently enrolled undergraduates who report an increased awareness of social justice issues over the past year, according to research from BestColleges: 72

Ranks of race, culture, developmental and acquired disabilities, and ethnicity and nationality on the list of social justice movements that are most important to college students: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: BestColleges.

Idle Thought

"When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package." -- John Ruskin, author, art critic and social reformer (1819-1900)

(EDITOS: If you have editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker, chooker@amuniversal.com.)