What Americans fear most in 2025

A survey conducted by Team Fear, a group of researchers at Chapman University, has revealed the top fears of Americans in 2025. The results show that the most common fear among respondents is corrupt government officials, with 69.1% of participants expressing fear or anxiety about this issue.

Coming in second is the fear of a loved one becoming seriously ill, with 58.9% of respondents reporting some level of fear. Economic and financial collapse also made the top three list, with 58.2% of participants citing it as a source of concern.

Other fears that made the list include cyberterrorism, pollution of drinking water, Russia using nuclear weapons, pollution of oceans, rivers, and lakes, government tracking of personal data, and people dying in another world war (tied at 55.3%).

The survey's lead researcher, Dr. Christopher Bader, believes that understanding what we fear can help us put those fears into context and find ways to manage them. "Limiting media exposure, researching your fears, recognizing manipulative speech and advertising, and building a community are all strategies that can help," he said.

Interestingly, there is often a disconnect between the things we fear and reality. For example, despite the crime rate going down, fear of crime has steadily increased over time. This highlights the importance of understanding our fears and finding ways to address them in a constructive manner.

The survey results also provide valuable insights into how people can better manage their fears. By building strong communities and limiting exposure to negative news, individuals can reduce their anxiety levels and feel more secure about the future.

OMG, 69.1% of ppl are freaked out by corrupt gov officials? Like, I get it, it's messed up... but shouldn't we be focusing on fixing the problems instead of fearing them? We gotta keep an eye on our leaders and demand change, but not let fear dictate our lives. And btw, what's with all these fears about the world ending? Like, it's been happening for centuries . Seriously tho, building communities and limiting media exposure could be game changers in managing anxiety.

omg yaaas I'm not surprised at all that corrupt gov officials are the number one fear lol like what even is left to trust anymore? but at the same time I get why ppl would be worried it's just common sense right? and economic collapse?? who wouldn't wanna worry about their future fam idk how people live with all this anxiety tho but im guessin it's a good thing we can learn to manage it somehow? I mean building communities and limiting media exposure makes total sense maybe we just need more positivity in the world

omg u guyz i wasnt suprised to see corrupt gov officials at the top of this list lol i mean its like they r always in the news for somethin but seriously tho its crazy how much ppl fear a loved one getting sick or economic collapse cuz those r probs we cant even controle but its cool 2 see that the survey says building communities and limitin media expozure can help us manage our fears maybe thats why i dont watch as much news lol i just stick to what i know is true

omg I'm so relieved that 69.1% of ppl r not as paranoid as me lol! i mean i know gov officials can be sketchy but come on its not like they're gonna turn us all into zombies anyway idk what's up with ppl being afraid of world war 3 tho like we've got more pressing issues like climate change and pollution did u see that survey from last yr where ppl said the top fear was running out of avocado toast? priorities, people!

omg this is wild like 69.1% of ppl are scared of corrupt gov officials? that's insane i mean i get it people wanna believe in a utopia but come on we gotta face reality here. it's also kinda weird how our fears can be so outta whack. crime rates goin down but fear of crime is still skyhigh . maybe we need to reevaluate what's scary and what's just drama

Man, these survey results are like, totally eye-opening . I mean, who'd have thought that corrupt government officials would be the number one fear for so many people? It's crazy how our minds work, you know? We're always worried about things that might happen, but what if we're just worrying about nothing?

And it makes sense, though - when we see news headlines about corruption and scandals all over the place, it's no wonder people are scared. But at the same time, I think we need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Like, Dr. Bader said, our fears can be managed if we just learn how to deal with them in a constructive way.

I've seen this happen with friends and family - once they started talking about their fears and finding ways to cope, it was like a weight lifted off their shoulders. And building communities is such a big part of that. We're not alone, you know? We all have people who care about us and can help us through tough times.

But yeah, I think it's also important to limit our exposure to negative news - too much of that stuff can just get stuck in your head and make you feel anxious all the time. So maybe try to balance it out with some positive stories and good vibes?

people's perceptions of government officials are off the charts . 69% freaking out over corrupt officials? that's like, what's the point of having a free press if ppl just gonna believe everything they see on social media ?

anyway, research says we can manage our fears by limiting media exposure & building communities . makes sense to me, less fake news = less anxiety . but is it easy to do in today's world where information is literally at your fingertips ?