Update: Oreo, Dog Thrown Off Building, Was Euthanized
People Wait For Tomorrow's UWS Apple Store Opening
Emily and Sarah Kunstler, Filmmakers
Cheap Chicken Wing Deal Ruined by Gunslinging Teens
Your Elevator Safety Week Guide: Dancing, "Rapping" Cat
Tsk tsk. It seems that young Americans are more Americentric (self-absorbed) than we thought. A report in National Geographic shows that 63% of Americans aged 18-24 could could not correctly locate Iraq on a map of the Middle East. Other stunning facts revealed in the report:
· 70% couldn’t find Israel on a Middle Eastern map.
· 90% couldn’t spot Afghanistan on a map of Asia.
· 75% couldn’t place Indonesia.
· 74% believed English is the most commonly spoken native language in the world.
To see if you fare better, click here (the average responder got 54% right). But you're probably saying, "but Middle Eastern and Asian geography is hard" and "I bet students in loser countries did worse". But the fact of the matter is the U.S. did worse than every other country in the survey except for Mexico, and even there it only did slightly better. And (and this is the real kick in the Rand McNally's), half of those Americans surveyed couldn't even identify New York State on a U.S. map and only 2/3rd could point to the general vicinity of the northwest on a map. And you thought we just sucked at science and math.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
I would like to know if their methods were entirely scientific. Since this sort of question can be conducted by random telephone polling exactly how did they guarantee a truly random sample? If they just questioned people walking on the sidewalk in the middle of the day what are the odds that they biased their sample to the unemployed or underemployed and presumably lesser educated.
The methodology is all in the report which is in the link in the article. The interviews were conducted on evenings and weekends in homes face to face.
Why am I supposed to know where CSI is based? I have never watched a single episode. I guess I'm just another stoopid 'merican.
like any poll, it's bullshit.
however, to be a braggart, i did score a cool 20/20.
Roper conducted the poll, so I assume it was done scientifically.
It's hard to know how seriously to take poll results like these. What is the poll measuring? Actual knowledge and reasoning ability, rote memorization skills, or ability to quickly recall facts?
For example, one question in the sample quiz asked what city the original CSI was set in (how is this geography?). I've never seen the show, but I remember reading a story about it years ago so I knew the answer.
I got every question right except the CSI one (I don't watch the show) and US is world's biggest exporter one, and I am an American. Naturalized one so I don't know if I count.
i also got all questions right except the csi one as i've never seen the show. also, to those who keep harping on the fact that the question is in there to begin with, the point of the question is to show how much the average person knows about a tv show rather than anything in real life. the make a point of mentioning that more teens got that question correct over the others.
Totally missed the CSI one as I never watch tv, but I did get the rest correct. It seems the rest of the country is pretty dumb.
If you don't know where the countries are, how do you know where to drop the napalm?
I only missed one - about CSI. And I really don't feel bad about that as I don't own a tv.
I feel brilliant.
For one thing, you made a mistake in the post. 63% of American kids didn't correctly locate Iraq. The opposite was true: 63% couldn't locate it. As to this survey's conclusions, we've been pelted with statistical proof of the ignorance of Americans, both young and old, since I was born. It's not news. When a majority--or close enough to a majority to make election-rigging easy--of the people think an idiot like George W. Bush is the right pick for president, you know you live in a nation of dumbfucks.
I got the one wrong about what percentage of population growth is due to immgration. I said 54% and the correct answer was 33% (working from memory here). Honestly, how is anyone supposed to know this? Does this include legal and illegal immigrants? Who even knows how many illegals are really entering the US every year?
and for the cynical geographer, don't you think it's time the left stopped blaming George Bush's election victory on American stupidity? Bill Clinton won the Presidency twice. Maybe the problem lies in the candidates lack of message. By the way, these people you think are so dumb are the people you need to be courting, not insulting.
I think the point of the CSI one is to prove that people know where a fictional show takes place, but they can't show you where American soldiers are dying.
When you grow up in a country that is smaller is geographical size than a US state, closely bordered by two or three other countries and study a second language from the 2nd grade (usually English)you tend to get a wider scope of the world than someone growing up in a country like the US.
When we do sport its Boston vs. New York, not Ireland vs. Brazil...
Everyone around us speaks the same language, English. Spanish is becoming the 2nd national language, like it or not. Most non-US types find it odd that most Americans aren't fluent in Spanish.
Unless one seeks out alternative sources of news and entertainment, its pretty much all about us, or I mean U.S.
Does anyone really find the result of this survey a surprise?
Gothamist, please take the time to read what you reference.
"Despite nearly constant news coverage since the war there began in 2003, 63 percent of Americans aged 18 to 24 failed to correctly locate the country on a map of the Middle East."
That means that 63% don't know where the f*ck Iraq is.
Well, in all urban areas in the US, most public school students are (illegal) mexicans so it is quite natural that our results are similar to Mexico's.
BTW, we have the world's most expensive school system (spending per student). Most expensive = one of the worst.
Hey, Roy! I'll bite!
I live in a suburb of an urban are in the US and most of the public school students are African Americans. And, uh, Mexican doesn't necessarily mean illegal. Way to be a racist prick.
Could you demonstrate how "most expensive" automatically equates "one of the worst" please?
Could you demonstrate how "most expensive" automatically equates "one of the worst" please?
See test results mentioned above: "But the fact of the matter is the U.S. did worse than every other country in the survey except for Mexico, and even there it only did slightly better."
We are spending more money per student than any other nation. This just shows that money has not been the solution. Re: Mexico I think it is a valid point to note that in many areas here most students are from Mexico.
Other countries have much better results without spending so much. We must be doing something wrong here in our system. Also, one obvious reason for bad results is that in public schools most students are illegals (mostly mexican) who do not speak english at home, and do not have parents who can help them. Besides, some politicians discourage them from learning english by supporting bi-lingual (read: spanish) education (why not supporting chinese and polish language as well??).
I don't know what make you raise the race-card again. Are you a racist?
I didn't raise the race card. You did when you made this sweeping generalization:
"Well, in all urban areas in the US, most public school students are (illegal) mexicans so it is quite natural that our results are similar to Mexico's."
The "all urban areas" is wrong. The "most public school students are Mexicans" is wrong. And the implication that Mexicans are illegally here is wrong. So when you go and wrongly dump the problems of all public schools on one group of people, and define that group of people in terms of their ethnic heritage, you're exhibiting racism.
This type of geographic survey comes out every few years and always points out that American children are "dumb" in relation to their age group arounds the world.
If findings were presented better, such as there might be more outrage and incentive to change.
Here are a few new headlines:
"Americans take Education for granted and prefer to be stupid"
"Parents do a Poor Job Educating their Children"
"American youth learn geography from Sims and Second Life - NOT Where in the World is Carmen?"
"The Rest of the world is full of Poor bastards who must scramble to get ahead; Americans feel We are Already there. Just chill out and relax."
Yes, Cynical Geographer, we live in a nation of dumbasses that elected a president who most assuredly isn't part of the nerd patrol - not even remotely. I think it a fair assumption that Bush would do just as well as the 18 - 24 years or worse, particularly if he took the survey prior to becoming the Decider in Chief (now he has toadies who'll cheat for him). People prefer to be with like-minded people. Al Gore was "scary" and "stuck up" because he knew too much. Yes, we live with people who like to be surrounded by stupidity. It makes us feel better to be thought of as smarter than your average dumbass.
Oh, Miss Corticcio, wherefore art though and your world history class now?