What is a guilty pleasure exactly? The expression typically gets characterized as the delight of anything that is generally not regarded in high favor. According to many psychologists, American society should do away with this phrase, as activities related to this term allow mental breaks that can strengthen our capacity to engage more positively with others and cope with stress better. A source of happiness is nothing to feel embarrassed about since it does not negatively influence us in any aspect other than how others may regard us.
In the summer of 2018, the Fandango Media-owned streaming service VUDU sponsored a national poll to identify America’s guilty pleasures. It featured over 2,000 participants from many states, collecting data that demonstrated that 84 percent of Americans have at least one delight that they indulge in from time to time, which they are not over the moon about. Below, we look at a few activities that many Americans cannot resist.
Online Gambling
Playing online gambling games is not a new passion. It has been around since the mid-1990s when the island jurisdiction of Antigua and Barbuda decided to issue online gambling licenses to companies interested in supplying this service. Once that happened, the sector swiftly took off, as the number of platforms climbed from fifteen in 1996 to two hundred in 1997. Today, it has yearly sales of about $60 billion.
Slots are this industry’s cash cows bringing in the lion’s share of the money. The US regulation regarding this activity varies from state to state. However, American gamers have been playing at offshore sites that accept them for decades. These forums get reviewed by recognized international organizations such as the MGA that maintain impartiality.
Tons Of Fast Food
Isn’t it time we moved on from fast food? Well, no. A study that was conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics in 2018 found that approximately 37 percent of people in the United States consume fast food on a daily basis. People between the ages of 20 and 39 are the most likely to participate in this behavior, as 44.9 percent of people in this age range eat what the majority of dietitians refer to colloquially as junk food on a daily basis. Those who were older than sixty years old had the lowest likelihood of eating burgers, pizza, or burritos. It is fascinating to note that the linked study found that the consumption of fast food increases in direct proportion to the income of families. It was consumed the most during lunch, while the least amount was consumed in the morning.
According to QSR Magazine, McDonald’s is still, without a doubt, the king of the fast-food industry in the United States, with system-wide sales of more than 38,524 million dollars. The number two spot belongs to Starbucks, which has nearly half of that total, and the number three spot goes to Subway. The allure of this risky practice likely stems from its easy accessibility, which explains why we are so drawn to it. The respondents to the survey indicated that thirty-two percent of the time, they do so because it is inexpensive.
Binge On Reality-TV
Although many casual viewers are unaware of this fact, Dutch television is largely responsible for the explosion of reality television across the globe in the early 2000s. Their Big Brother show caused a sensation all over the world, and in 2001, two years after it made its debut in the Netherlands, it moved to its new home in the United States. In point of fact, the premise has been around since the 1940s, when Allen Funt’s Candid Camera program featured hidden cameras in its broadcasts. However, during the 2000s, this genre experienced a renaissance, and it became the most popular program on television; for example, American Idol had a viewership of over 30 million people on a weekly basis.
Now, twenty years after the boom first began, reality television is nowhere near as dominant as it once was, but it is still present in some form or another. Extremely popular shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Too Hot to Handle, and The Circle are still bringing in huge audiences. The people of the United States believe that reality television can provide them with an escape, and they enjoy the drama that can be found on these shows.
Stalker Behavior on Social Media
The phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” is a well-known English idiom that is well known by everyone. It is the practice of using one’s peers as a standard against which to judge one’s own social accomplishments. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people engage in this behavior, and according to the findings of a study conducted by VUDU, 15% of individuals who admitted to having a guilty pleasure also stated that they engage in the practice of stalking other people’s social media accounts. In point of fact, if everyone had finished the survey the right way this proportion would likely be significantly higher.
Like any other kind of technology, social networks are just a tool. Keeping tabs on friends and acquaintances, on the other hand, can cause many people to have negative feelings about themselves. Psychologists think that these platforms promote and encourage unethical behavior by preying on people’s vulnerabilities and impulses, and they believe this to be the case. Approximately 91 percent of young people use social media sites, and 38 percent of heavy users show signs of depression as a result of their use. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that young people, in particular, refrain from monitoring how well their contemporaries are doing in life.
To Sum Up
Eating ice cream, dozing off in front of the television, ignoring responsibilities, listening to cheesy music, and other similar activities are also examples of guilty pleasures in the United States. If they are done in moderation, none of the activities listed above should cause any sort of embarrassment for the participant. As long as they do not hinder your ability to get things done or your overall health, there is no reason to feel guilty about indulging in them.