are some "statistics" just meant to scare people?

Question

I think that some of the "statistics" we hear are merely there to scare us. For example, we've all heard that "most shark attacks occur in three feet of water". So there are people who may actually avoid going to the beach, JUST for that reason.
There are millions of people, right this minute, at beaches all over the world. Guess what? Most of them are in about three feet of water! Because that's how deep the water is when you're near the beach...how many casual swimmers swim out to where the water is really deep?
The fact is, there are vastly more injuries and deaths (at the beach) from other sources than sharks. More people require sutures for seashell cuts than for shark bites! More people are treated in hospitals for sunburn than for shark injuries, and vastly more deaths occur at the beach as a result of drowning or cardiac arrest than from shark attacks.
The "statistic" is essentially true, but still meaningless. What others can you think of?

just thought of this: they also say that the majority of auto accidents occur "within 10 miles of home". Well, of course they do! Surely most people shop, work, run errands, visit friends etc. all within 10 miles of home.
Another one: most accidents (not car accidents) occur at home. Well, duh! That's because most people LIVE AT HOME. If you spend most of your time someplace, that's the place you're most likely to get hurt!

Answer 1

Years ago the Russian news agency reported on a horse race. They reported: The Americans horse had a bad showing, they were second from the bottom. The Russians horse finished in second place.

But the race was between only 2 horses.

Answer 2

Statistics exists. That some cause you fear is strictly internal to you. The shark attack stats are true for the reason you state - most people stick to the shore. There are typically about 100 such attacks reported each year, and roughly 10% of those are fatal. Given the billions of people-visits to the shore each year, you have a better chance of winning Powerball.

They say most accidents happen within a few miles of home. Again, that is because the vast majority of people spend their time within a few miles of home.

Statisitcs are cold math. Fear is an emotion, and often an irrational one. The two have little to do with each other.

Answer 3

I was in a waiting room and reading Newsweek. The cover story was a reprise of one of their old cover stories from the 70's about women's chances of getting married by certain ages.
The old article said by the age of 40, if a woman hadn't married, then her chances were less than 3%, and also stated that she had a greater chance of being killed by a terrorist attack.

Now, of course, marraige and life was different then.......but even so, the statistice they gave back then (there were all sorts of other percentages and age brackets) were all wrong, and not really studies properly. The article that they recently did recounting the old one was explaining how wrong they really were back then, and also gave new statistics for recent times.

I think that you can throw any statistics out there..........and it's all the information that you cut OUT and don't tell people that makes their "statement" seem so scary. I mean.......let's think about it......the statement about sharks...........of course most shark attacks are in 3 feet of water!!!.....Where are the majority of people swimming?!! Not out in the open ocean! If most of the people swimming are near the shore line, they that's the only place a shark will be able to get them! But people dont' think that way.........they way they think is they read that sentence about 3 feet of water and think "Crap, if i'm in 3 feet of water I'm going to draw sharks." It's totally stupid.

Answer 4

Statistics can be twisted whichever way you want to. Say, for example, that there's a city with a hundred people. One is a criminal. The next year, there are two who are criminals. You could say that there was a one percent decrease in law-abiding citizens, OR you could say that the crime rate DOUBLED.

Here's another statistic thing: Let's say that firearms are very dangerous, that they kill TOO MANY PEOPLE every year. So we get rid of firearms. Did you know that more people die in their own swimming pools than as a result of being shot, every year? But nobody is suggesting we outlaw swimming pools, are they?


PS: If you're interested in these kinds of things, I HIGHLY recommend the book Freakonomics. I'm reading it right now, and it's full of these kinds of statistics.

Answer 5

You can use statistics to prove anything. Are you aware, for instance, that there were more cases of lung cancer reported after the advent of television antennas than before television antennas? Logically, this would mean that television antennas are causing lung cancer, and not smoking. More nonsmokers die each year from lung cancer than smokers. Hmm. Second hand smoke? Probably not, but it feeds the nonsmoking lobby to think otherwise. In 11% of fatal accidents, the deaths are caused by seat belts keeping people in burning cars or cars invoved with water. We never hear about those stats, do we?

Answer 6

Yes, It's a fear tatic like so many other things in our society. The more that we fear, the more we are controled. Whats funny about that is that we don't even see how controled we are by fear. You know the other night there was a "South Park" on channel 25, it was about the town being so scared of kidnappings so they all started being crazy scared and such. Well then they built a wall around the town. Then the news said that parents are the most likely to kidnap their child. So then, they sent all the child to live on their own. I know that it sounds silly but it's a good anology.

Answer 7

Statistics are a scare tactic when the complete set of information is not given or other mitigating facts are hidden. Before you "believe" a statistic ask yourself what the report is trying to prove and the Bias behind the reporting, where the Poll was taken etc.....

Answer 8

I think that we need a higher level of mathematical literacy as a nation so we can actually evaluate the worth of many of these statistics.

And you're a heck of a lot more likely to die on the drive to the beach than you are to be attacked by a shark. Wear your seatbelt!

Answer 9

Oh I'm so sorry darling, I didn't realize it was scaring you that much. I'll stop, I promise... So that explains what happened the other night, I thought maybe it was time to take you to the doc and get ya some Viagra... Wow, I feel better now, I was really starting to worry about you honey. Oh, the animal crackers with the pink frosting are my favorite, but you already know that, don't you boo... ;-)

Answer 10

Statistics Lie! They are so bad! I love them!
Here are a couple from my old statistics professor:

Did you hear about the man who drowned in a river that had an average depth of four feet?

Or the one about the man who had his head in the refrigerator and his feet in the oven, but on the average he was quite comfortable?

Or, best of all, almost 100% of murders are committed by people who eat BREAD!!!! Gaaah!