What are Americans' biggest concerns right now? Depending on what kind of news or algorithms you're tapped into, you might get the impression that it's anything from transgender kids playing sports to seemingly endless gun violence. But according to an ask on Reddit, the answer comes down to something much more basic: finances.
A redditor recently polled other users in r/AskReddit to see what they believed "the biggest concern for most Americans right now" to be. Most of the respondents seemed to be American themselves, and the answers overwhelmingly fell into three categories: the job market, health insurance, and cost of living.
It's a pretty bleak condemnation of where the country is right now, even without international redditors chiming in and expressing their perpetual dismay with how the U.S. lets its citizens down. But if you want to feel a little less alone about your own economc fears, read on.
Health insurance
"I have no health insurance for the first time in my life. It's scary." —u/Nommernose
"I haven’t had insurance for most of mine. It’s led me to crippling debt and a terrible credit score. All of my debt is medical and student loans." —u/oldswirlo
"I had insurance and I still ended up 100k in debt and a wrecked credit score after a stroke." —u/JoshSidekick
"I’m one paycheck away from being homeless and I’m terrified that my health issues will advance because I don’t have access to medical care. I guess dying young is almost a better eventuality than the uncertainty of aging in this country." —u/oldswirlo
The job market
"Finding a job, fear of losing your sh*tty job, cost of living" —u/doinmabest1
"I lost my sh*tty job and I've applied to and been denied at slightly sh*ttier jobs, now I'm on to applying to even sh*ttier jobs and still getting denied. Good times." —u/pulse2287
"Everyone says they’re hiring but nobody actually hires. Their requirements are completely unrealistic. Nobody with decades of experience is going to choose to work at a Jersey Mike’s." —u/stunspelledbackwards
"That you can lose your job without warning. No notice period where you can get paid while looking for something else. Just getting thrown out of a workplace you've been at for years, with your belongings. And that this can lead to losing your right to proper health care because of insurance..." —u/clippy_69696969
Cost of living
"I have a well-paying job, live frugally, and can barely make ends meet. It’s so f**king expensive to do anything but sit at home and breathe." —u/Cog_HS
"I have a “real” job that pays pretty well. And if I wasn’t able to split bills with my husband, I’d absolutely have to have a roommate. I mean without a doubt. It’s crazy out here." —u/ANewDinosaur
"Being able to live and pay bills. We’re reaching a point where basic housing and food absorbs all of our income. If this isn’t resolved within a few years, heads will actually roll. American capitalism is propped up as long as the general population gets to have their “treats”. As soon as that goes away things will crumble." —u/LowlightAesthetic
Americans are worn down
"The economy. It’s like pre-French Revolution. The rich keep getting richer and they flaunt it more. Double standards are getting worse. The poor are suffering. Middle class is destroyed. The bosses perpetuate this system as well. People are pissed. I hope more get angry as well." —u/Boltboys
"Billionaires in the <1% controlling and ruining everyone else’s lives, and the idiots that idolize them" —u/life_uhh_findsaway
"I think it probably varies by life stage, with those over 60, they are concerned about the stability of Social Security, Medicare and healthcare costs; for those over 40, they are likely thinking about how to max their investments for retirement, and pay for college for their children; for those in their mid-20s to late 30s, housing, childcare and health insurance costs. And EVERYONE is concerned with the cost of utilities and food." —u/Barbarella_ella
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