Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of social media users who said they wouldn't give up their accounts for less than $10,000, according to a survey of social media users by the Reboot Foundation: 70

Percentage who said they would choose to keep their social media accounts over their cars, TVs and even their pets: 40

Source: Reboot Foundation.

Amount that traditional cable TV "cord-cutters" are spending per month on average for their online pay-TV or standalone subscription-based services -- roughly $30 less than they were paying for traditional pay-TV service, according to research by Parks Associates: $85

Percentage of cord-cutters who subscribe to four or more OTT services -- "over-the-top" media accessed directly by consumers through the internet: 47

Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of Americans who cite a desire to take advantage of holiday sales as the main reason for getting a head start on their gift purchasing this year, according to a survey by Klarna: 72

Percentage who want to avoid shipping delays: 45

Percentage who want to avoid last-minute stress: 39

Source: Klarna Bank.

Percentage of consumers who report that as a result of the coronavirus they are buying food and beverage products to protect their immune systems more, according to a Packaged Facts' survey: 40

Percentage sales growth of packaged foods and beverages with claims for gut health or immunity from 2019 to 2020: 50

Source: Packaged Facts.

Number of times faster the internet economy has grown than the total U.S. economy during the past four years, according to a study commissioned by the Interactive Advertising Bureau: 7

Percentage of the U.S. gross domestic product that is now accounted for by the internet economy: 12

Source: Interactive Advertising Bureau.

Percentage of companies that are hiring contract workers to support seasonal and year-end initiatives, according to a Robert Half report: 74

Percentage of employers that are willing to look outside their city to find skilled job candidates, given talent shortages: 78

Percentage of employers that are leveraging outside agencies to help recruit contract workers: 44

Source: Robert Half.

Percentage of pet owners who bring their fur babies on vacation with them, according to a survey by Embrace Pet Insurance: 60

Percentage of pet parents who take their pups hiking: 30

Of the 60% of pet owners who take their pets on vacation, percentage who will stay in an RV or camper, with an additional 6% who will sleep in a tent: 12

Source: Embrace Pet Insurance.

Percentage of first-generation homeowners who say the importance of homeownership has increased over the past year, according to Bank of America survey of U.S. adults who currently own a home or plan to in the future: 69

Percentage who say the importance of building equity has increased: 61

Percentage who also have a newfound appreciation for the safety and security that homeownership provides: 73

Source: Bank of America.

Percentage of Americans who think states where cannabis is legal should require licensed cannabis producers to use secure labels that can't be counterfeited on cannabis products to ensure potency and consumer safety, according to a study commissioned by SICPA North America and conducted by The Harris Poll: 83

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, percentage of the U.S. population, representing 48 million people, who consumed cannabis at least once in 2019: 18

Percentage who voiced their support for a program that would make it easier to detect legal vs. illegal cannabis products: 80

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of retail executives who are worried about receiving their holiday orders in time, according to a holiday retail survey by Deloitte: 60

Percentage of consumers who are concerned about "stockouts," or out-of-stock inventory for a desired item: 75

Percentage who consumers who are worried about inflation and expect higher prices this season: 68

Source: Deloitte.

Idle Thought

"It is not titles that make men illustrious, but men who make titles illustrious." -- Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher (1469-1527)

The ideal amount of time to spend in-person with your co-workers -- a number that mirrors U.S. trends, according to a global Ipsos poll with the World Economic Forum: 2.5 days

Percentage of American adults who say they would consider looking for another job if their employer expected them to work away from home full time: 30

Source: Ipsos.

Percentage of people who say they push themselves harder in a fitness class than they do on their own, according to ClassPass Comeback Report: 81

Percentage who prefer to have an instructor's direction and encouragement when working out: 74

Percentage who say in-studio classes make it easier to work out regularly and keep up a routine: 67

Source: ClassPass.

Ranks of goals related to mental health, nutrition and fitness on the list of areas where U.S. adults currently turn to other people or tools for support in achieving their goals, according to the first survey by Medifast: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of U.S. adults who feel more motivated when connecting with others who have similar health and wellness goals: 65

Source: Medifast.

Percentage of full-time employees who said they have considered leaving a job immediately due to the onboarding experience (e.g. limited transitional training, unorganized first day), according to research by isolved Connect: 51

Percentage of full-time employees who think the onboarding experience should last over four weeks: 52

Percentage who think onboarding should be two months or longer: 23

Source: isolved.

Percentage of homeowners who took on at least one DIY project since the start of the pandemic who say saving money was their top reason for choosing to do a DIY project, according to a new survey by Angi: 62

Percentage who also said they had spare time or were bored: 56

Percentage who said they chose DIY over hiring a pro because they wanted to prove someone wrong about their ability to do it: 24

Source: Angi.

Percentage of recent homebuyers who have rented out their entire newly acquired home while they were away, according to research by Realtor.com: 6

Percentage who have lived in a smaller unit on their property while renting out the main house: 7

Percentage who say they do it for extra income to save: 53

Source: Realtor.com.

Percentage of those with unused gift cards, vouchers or store credits who do not anticipate using all of their unredeemed funds, according to a Bankrate.com report: 49

Percentage of U.S. adults who have lost gift card/voucher/store credit value at some point: 49

Of those with unused gift cards, vouchers or credits, percentage who have been holding on to at least one of these for a year or more: 73

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of people who do not own solar panels who are likely to purchase them if they could reduce their energy costs by 50%, according to research from Parks Associates: 33

Percentage who report they are "very familiar" with electric vehicles, despite a growing number of products now on the market: 26

Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of American who said dining out was one of the things they want to do more of as pandemic restrictions lifted, according to research commissioned by the Contact Lens Institute: 52

Percentage who said travel: 45

Percentage who said attending more live entertainment: 34

Source: Contact Lens Institute.

Percentage of Americans who said dip is their appetizer of choice, according to a study conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Farm Rich: 70

Percentage of fans who would jump into a pool of their favorite dip for a year's supply of it: 52

Source: Farm Rich.

Idle Thought

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -- Annie Dillard, author (1945- )

Percentage of millennial (ages 25 to 40) mortgage holders who say they would tap home equity to bankroll a vacation, compared with just 4% of Gen X (ages 41 to 56) and 3% of baby boomer mortgage holders (ages 57 to 75), according to Bankrate survey: 14

Percentage of millennials who say they would pull cash from their homes for nonessential purchases, such as electronics or a boat, versus 3% of both Gen Xers and baby boomers with a mortgage: 10

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of consumers who say they go out to eat when they do not feel like cooking, according to a survey by Acosta: 51

Of those eating out, percentage who do so at least twice a month: 60 to 70

Percentage of consumers who say they are looking for restaurants that offer a wide variety of menu items when eating out: 82

Source: Acosta.

Percentage of British consumers who say they will miss gasoline and diesel cars if they are ever fully phased out, according to a survey by YouGov: 45

Percentage of American consumers who say they will miss cars with fossil fuel engines once they're gone: 52

Source: YouGov.

Average percentage of adults across 30 countries, including the United States (82%), who say that their mental and physical health are equally important to them, according to an Ipsos Poll: 79

Ranks of COVID-19 and mental health on the list of health problems Americans view as the biggest ones facing people in their country: 1, 2

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of U.S. adults ages 21 and older who reported drinking patterns that met the survey criteria for "heavy drinking," according to a survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic on behalf of Alkermes Inc.: 17

Percentage who reported that they continued to drink despite it making them feel depressed or anxious or adding to another health problem: 30

Percentage who gave up or cut back on activities that were important or interesting to them, or gave them pleasure, in order to drink: 23

Source: Alkermes Inc.

Percentage of shoppers who expect a seamless, convenient and connected online and offline shopping experience, according to a survey by Klarna Bank: 80

Percentage who say that helpful customer service and knowledgeable sales associates are critical to ensuring a stand-out shopping experience: 72

Source: Klarna Bank.

Percentage of U.S. adults who have applied for a retail-branded credit card who say they have applied impulsively at checkout at least once, according to a new study from CreditCards.com: 68

Percentage who applied for retail cards who always planned their signup in advance: 32

Percentage who said they felt pressured to apply by the store or an employee: 10

Source: CreditCards.com.

Despite a string of controversies and the public's negative sentiments about aspects of social media, percentage of Americans who say they use some kind of social media site -- a share of the population that has remained relatively stable over the past five years -- according to a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults: 70

Ranks of YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest on the list of the most widely used online platforms among U.S. adults: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Percentage of teens who agree that business innovation will be required to slow or stop global warming and climate change, according to a survey conducted for Junior Achievement: 73

Percentage who agree that businesses act more responsibly toward the environment today than they have in the past: 52

Percentage who say that they are worried about the impact of global warming and climate change on their future quality of life: 65

Source: Junior Achievement.

Ranks of a snack-sized bag of cookies, a snack-sized bag of pretzels, caramel apples and a beef jerky stick on the list of the most popular candy-alternative snacks on Halloween among kids ages 8 to 14, according to research by YouGov: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: YouGov.

Idle Thought

"We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love" -- Madame De Stael, writer (1766-1817)