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.
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.
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. 
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 
maybe we just need more positivity in the world 
maybe thats why i dont watch as much news lol i just stick to what i know is true 
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? 
. maybe we need to reevaluate what's scary and what's just drama 
. 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 
?