American Adults Wish They Spent More Time Studying During High School, Survey Suggests
September 08 2009 - 5:00PM
Business Wire
While the end of summer signals a new school year for many
children and teens across the U.S., it also provides adults with
the chance to reminisce about times past. Recalling memories of
their high school years through the lens of their ensuing life
experiences, many Americans feel that if they had the chance to do
high school all over again they would have spent more time studying
and planning for their future, according to a recent national
survey sponsored by Classmates.com®.
According to the survey, more than six out of 10 Americans (63
percent) say that if they could “do over” their high school years,
they would “think ahead about college or my future.” The
second-highest (61 percent) on the list of things to do over is to
“study hard” to make “good grades.”
“Since the inception of the online social networks, of which
Classmates.com became a pioneer in 1995, we’ve seen periods where
people show increased interest in recalling different moments from
throughout their lives,” said J. Tomas Gomez-Arias, Transamerica
Professor of Marketing and Global Business at Saint Mary’s College
of California. “In a challenging economic environment, such
retrospective is not only normal, it is amplified as people
increase their search for common connection points with friends
from their past.”
“During this time of year, it’s only natural to reminisce over
our own school days: what we could have done better or wish we had
done more,” said Sarah Pynchon, Vice President of Brand Marketing,
Classmates Online, Inc. “At the same time, we fondly remember those
memories that we share with other members of our class.
Classmates.com gives old friends the chance to reconnect – not only
with one another, but also with the places and things for which
we’re most nostalgic, like the music and games we used to
play.”
Socializing vs. Studying
When adult Americans look back on their high school years, the
majority of them point to one of two priorities: socializing or
studying. Roughly three out of 10 Americans (31 percent) say their
top priority in high school was their “social life — being with
friends” while “studying so I got good grades” was a close second,
named by 28 percent.
Many Americans feel their studies would have improved under the
guidance of an inspiring teacher or mentor. According to the
survey, more than half of Americans (53 percent) say they wish they
had found “a teacher or mentor who believed in me and inspired
me.”
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Although the leading regret Americans have about their high
school years is not having focused on schoolwork and the future,
there are still many others who feel they took their school years
too seriously. Roughly half (49 percent) say that if they could do
over their high school experience, they would “relax and not sweat
the small stuff.”
“More than ever, with the pervasiveness of social networks and
the swell of individuals online, there is a real chance for people
to look back and relive their memories, rekindle old flames and
debates,” explains Gomez-Arias.
According to the survey, 46 percent of Americans wish they had
been “brave enough to ask-out someone they had a ‘crush’ on” in
high school. This percentage was much higher among men than women
(59 percent vs. 35 percent).
“Even if it is just for a few minutes, Classmates.com members
have a real opportunity to revisit a place, an event or people that
affected their lives,” says Pynchon. “And, regardless of the
generation, there’s significant interest in reconnecting with old
friends, acquaintances and even love interests online.”
Professor Gomez-Arias is co-author of a recent article in the
International Journal of Electronic Business Management: Beyond
Monetization: Creating Value Through Online Social Networks.
About
Classmates.com
Classmates.com is owned by Classmates Online, Inc., a subsidiary
of Classmates Media Corporation. Classmates.com connects millions
of members throughout the U.S. and Canada with friends and
acquaintances from school, work and the military. Classmates also
operates leading social networking sites in Germany
(www.stayfriends.de), Austria (www.stayfriends.at), Sweden
(www.stayfriends.se), France (www.trombi.com) and Switzerland
(www.klassenfreunde.ch). Classmates Media Corporation is a
subsidiary of United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq: UNTD). For more
information about United Online, please visit
www.unitedonline.com.
Methodological
Notes:
The Classmates.com survey was conducted by Wakefield Research
among 1,000 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and older
between August 3rd and August 10th, 2009 via telephone using Random
Digit Dialing. Quotas were set to ensure reliable and accurate
representation of the total U.S. population over ages 18 and
older.
Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The
magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the
number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing
the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100
that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1
percentage points from the result that would be obtained if
interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe
represented by the sample.
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