Harris Interactive

November 5, 2009, MediaPost — A new Harris Poll finds that more than half of all adults are saving money by purchasing more generic brands, while over 40 % are brown bagging more often and cutting back on visits to hairdressers and barbers. Over 30% have switched to tap water and cancelled one or more magazine subscriptions. Smaller percentages, but many millions of people, have also cut down on dry cleaning, cut back or cancelled cable television service, cancelled a newspaper subscription, stopped buying their morning coffee, changed or cancelled their cell phone service, increased their use of carpooling or mass transit and cancelled their telephone landline service.

BOSTON, Ma, September 8, 2009 — An astonishing 73% of 12-17 year olds in the U.S., or 18.8 million youth, have engaged in a volunteer activity according to a recent study commissioned by The Volunteer Family and conducted by Harris Interactive®.

July 1, 2009 —  One of the main purposes of advertising is to help consumers decide what products and services they should buy or use.  With so many different types of advertising being used today the question becomes what types are considered most helpful, that is they help people decide what products or services to actually purchase and which ones are most likely to be ignored or disregarded?

MIAMI, June 16, 2009 — A study conducted by Harris Interactive(R) on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters finds adults mentored as children through Big Brothers Big Sisters are more likely than peers with similar backgrounds but who were not involved in the program to have a four-year college degree and incomes of $75,000 or more. They also report strong relationships with their spouses, children and friends.

Though recent high-profile media coverage suggests that a large percentage of the US population participates in online social networking and microblogging, more than half of Americans (51%) do not use Twitter or participate in either of the two largest social networking sites - MySpace and Facebook - according to (pdf) a recent Harris Poll from Harris Interactive.

The Harris Poll® examined the behaviors and attitudes of people who give money or time to charitable organizations or advocate for them, and how their behavior has changed as a result of the economy. Almost half (45%) of these people report that their giving and their volunteering have not changed, but many people are giving to fewer organizations (24%) or giving smaller amounts (31%). In addition, six percent are not making any donations and seven percent are volunteering less. The only positive finding is that nine percent report volunteering more of their time because of the economic downturn.

Though many U.S. adults consider today's teens to be selfish and lazy, nearly seven out of ten parents say the current economic climate has made their teens "more aware of the needs of others," according to a new World Vision study. The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, examines parents' perceptions of their teenagers during the current recession. The study also illustrates that more than half of parents say their teens support charities actively, for example, by volunteering time in a "fasting event" such as World Vision's upcoming 30 Hour Famine happening February 27th and 28th, 2009.