Statistics and Society

If you've studied statistics (or in my case, haven't studied statistics), or if you are at all concerned about how statistics affect our society, then you may have heard of Joel Best. In his book Damned Lies and Statistics, he reveals how stats can take on a life of their own, especially if they are misquoted and put back out there for all to see. This isn't a book review, but rather a response to society and statistics that should open our eyes to the numbers and ratios that soar through our news coverage like little gods.

Best gives an example of a misquote about a societal statistic relating to violence and children. The original quote was making a point in saying that since 1950 until recent years, the number of children who have been gunned down has doubled within this time frame. Best writes about a student who quoted another source which happened to misquote this statistic by saying the number of gunned down children has doubled every year-as if this continues on and on every year. In that case, the number would be an impossible figure, reaching into the trillions and beyond the population of the earth. The sources for the quotes can be found on Best's web site.

The student quoted correctly what he had read. The writer got it wrong. How many times does this happen in our trusty newspapers, magazines or on the nightly news where we are expecting quotes and statistics to be correct. Can they ever be correct? There is always an influence behind a statistic. It could be a monetary reason to get a company to make more sales. It could be a political reason to shift the scales in a particular direction, particularly during campaign time. It could just be a best-choice scenario of which number seems to be the best at the time. Statistics will chance as research continues, people's opinions are altered or stats are just quoted wrong. The point is to be a reliable society in which statistics are questioned-maybe even challenged-at a level of taking responsibility for what we hear and read.

The responsible citizen will do a little more research, seek for a little more understanding and question a few more sources. This isn't to say that paranoia is in order. Just don't take everything at face value once and then decide this is the "it" we are looking for. Let's take a simple yet pleasing example. How many times have we heard recently that dark chocolate is "good" for us with its antioxidants and other such benefits? How much time do you think it will take before statistics have found their way around this one and begin quoting numbers in favor for making dark chocolate a health food? The seeping-in method of numbers into a society is easy to do. It allows the consumer to think about what they are buying and why over a relatively long period of time. Then it becomes a fact: dark chocolate is good for you. Eat more and live longer and buy such-and-such a brand. Clever marketing, clever money.

Statistics move into our lives and sit on our couches or at our dining room tables more often than we realize. Next time you listen to the news, pay attention to the numbers. Then ask yourself if they will affect you in the way of making a purchase, changing your lifestyle-foodwise or otherwise-or in how you think. Just pay attention. Then act on the responsible citizen viewpoint by following up on the numbers.