We live in terrifying times.
The wars in Ukraine and Gaza could expand, the polar ice caps are melting, and even some scientists developing artificial intelligence systems fear unleashing a monster.
But all those fears pale in comparison to what’s really making Americans nervous.
That’s according to a nationwide study. ipsos survey of more than 1,000 American adults.
The calamity that worries them above all else is a total economic collapse in the United States.
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An economic crisis is the main fear of a third of those surveyed.
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Only 9 percent of them live happily unfazed by any of the apocalyptic scenarios.
Ipsos pollster Kevin Hung said Americans are “extremely anxious about the economy.”
This is “despite recent positive economic indicators, such as lower inflation and unemployment rates,” he added.
Still, it’s not all good news.
The Dow Jones and S&P 500 were headed for weekly losses on Friday.
In recent months, Americans have kept an eye on their savings and the value of the 401,000 pot has fluctuated.
Just last year, it looked like the collapses of Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank could spiral into a broader crisis.
And buyers spend up to six dollars on a dozen eggs that in 2000 barely cost a dollar.
The damage caused by the wildfires in Lahaina, on the island of Maui, alerted many people to the dangers of climate change.
American tanks near the demilitarized zone between the Koreas, which many fear could lead to a major nuclear confrontation.
Greg Gwiasda, another pollster, said the economy is a top concern because it’s in the headlines all the time, and it’s mostly bad news.
“Therefore, people can quickly and easily recall economic stories, usually negative ones, and thus infer that they must be more probable,” he added.
For Republican voters, it’s even more real and is the top concern for nearly half of them.
The looming economic crisis is for them “further evidence of President Joe Biden’s failed economic policies,” Gwiasda added.
Voters of all stripes are alarmed by World War III, with a quarter of respondents calling it their top concern.
There are many reasons to fear that an all-out conflict is at hand.
Russia has entered Ukraine since annexing Crimea in 2014; China’s leader Xi Jinping has reportedly set 2027 as a likely year to regain his autonomous province of Taiwan.
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Meanwhile, Israel’s attack on Gaza militants could still lead to a broader conflict with Iran.
Climate change came in third, with 19 percent of respondents saying planet-warming gases were their biggest concern.
This is not a surprise after 2023 saw a record 28 weather and climate-related tragedies costing more than $1 billion each.
They included the wildfire that destroyed Lahaina on the island of Maui and the epic California floods.
Still, Gwiasda said, these types of tragedies are a “minor plot” and people “don’t pay as much attention to them anymore.”
Only 6 percent of Republicans, for example, say global warming is their top concern.
Many Americans known as survivors or preppers have stocked their basements, ready for an economic implosion or other apocalyptic scenario.
And although the COVID-19 outbreak that claimed 7 million lives worldwide is in the rearview mirror, 12 percent of Americans say another pandemic is their biggest concern.
The apocalyptic scenario Americans are least worried about is killer robots, the survey showed.
Only 2 percent of them said the deadly machines were a concern, even though it keeps some scientists awake at night.
Last month, more than 1,000 technology leaders and researchers, including Elon Musk, called for a pause in research on advanced artificial intelligence systems.
In an open letter, they warned that AI tools pose “profound risks to society and humanity.”
The Ipsos survey of 1,082 American adults was conducted earlier this month.