The American Future Gap Survey
The American Future Gap
A new national survey conducted by IFTF’s Jane McGonigal about how often
people typically think about the future
IN THE MEDIA
Slate — Our Puny Human Brains Are Terrible at Thinking About the Future. And that has consequences.
A majority of Americans report that they rarely or never think about the far future.
What are the implications for this foresight gap, for society and our individual well-being?
A new Institute for the Future survey shows that the majority of Americans rarely or never think 30 years into the future, and many rarely even think five years out—a fact that can lead to poor decision-making in people’s daily lives and negative consequences for society.
The online survey of more than 2,800 adults—the largest of its kind to-date—explored how often people think about the future. It found that more than a quarter (27%) of Americans rarely or never think about their lives five years ahead; more than a third (36%) never think about something that could happen 10 years into the future; and more than half (53%) of Americans rarely or never think about their lives 30 years out.
Want to learn more?
For more information about this report, contact:
Erin Musgrave | 530-864-7014 | emusgrave@affiliates.iftf.org
For more information about Institute for the Future and our research, please contact:
Sean Ness | 650-233-9517 | sness@iftf.org