Is it just me, or do others see a radical increase in the media use of polls, studies, surveys, and research? It seems these impressive and magic "question-me-not" numbers are everywhere, giving credibility to anything and everything! Wild numbers combined with percentages seem to be flying from every direction; just connect your statement to a "poll" or a "survey" and you have proof positive that your statement is factual.
The media is literally satiated with polls, studies and statistics.
Take a look at these impressive studies, which take thousands of dollars and multiple thousands of hours to complete! Profound questions like ... (*Do men between the age of fifty and seventy have less energy than men between the age of twenty and forty? *Do women actually have higher voices than men? *Are accident's with small cars more deadly than accidents with a larger car? *A recent survey of 5000 mothers indicated that 90% of the mothers surveyed thought that children under the age of four were not qualified to drive a car. Surprising statistics!)
Simple 'common sense' answers most of these profound mysteries ... so why the study? Why the research on senseless questions?
Take a quick look at political polls; many of which are created to give a predictable answer! One poll states one thing while another poll confirms the opposite. Could polls actually be manipulated?
Let's jump to medicine. Surveys and studies flourish in medicines. Heart trouble, joint pain, diabetes start an endless list of diseases and afflictions woven together by authentic statistics. Unfortunately these statistics form a constant flux of contradictions. What are we to believe?
It seems "percentages" of some type make any statement or argument more authoritative and authentic.
By the way, who ever checks on these whipped up statistics? We just glibly swallow them; after all they're in the newspapers and on the evening news.
Media, give us a break, cut down on your senseless studies and manipulated polls. Give us credit for having common sense. We're on to you.
(*Like many statistics, pure fiction.)
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