# Doper Demographics **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 2, 2022, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834 "2022-09-02T19:22:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/21 "2022-09-03T20:39:22Z")
I also have a theory that Canadians (broadly defined) are over-represented here. My guess is the population here is mostly American/US and that Canadians are more than 10% of whatever that number is. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/22 "2022-09-03T21:11:04Z")
60 yo, white, woman. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/23 "2022-09-03T21:26:28Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > There are even more Dopers in the older demographics, but many of us have forgotten there’s a poll at the top of the thread. It’s _near_ the top of the thread, but not in the OP. It’s here: > [@Doper Demographics](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/6): > > Let’s try a poll. What is your age? [poll](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/6) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/24 "2022-09-04T05:09:41Z")
The poll is a bit surprising. I had assumed that the majority of the board consisted of mature, seasoned, thoughtful individuals (defined as “over 70”). But I see now that the largest decadal percentage is young whippersnappers in the 60-69 range. Who wouldda thunk it? (And they’d better not get on my lawn!) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/25 "2022-09-04T09:12:52Z")
Another boring old white male here. Turning 58 tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/26 "2022-09-04T11:41:49Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Same age group but am one of the few women. A lot of us have left over the unpoliced misogyny (I left too, but trickled back), and although the policing has improved, the women have not returned, I don’t believe. The board skews heavily white, male, and old. It’s a real shame that women left and don’t seem to be returning, but I understand why. I don’t see this place getting more diverse, new blood just doesn’t come in anymore and as time goes on, it will become even worse. As for people of color, I don’t think there were ever that many here, I think it’s fair to describe this place as aggressively white. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/27 "2022-09-04T12:16:55Z")
Statistically, demographically white, yeah. But how do you figure _aggressively_? \<_scratches head_\> ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/28 "2022-09-04T12:21:59Z")
Well, the topics here are, not surprisingly, things old white people want to talk about and the overwhelming perspective is that anything outside of old white people’s experience is to be mocked and dismissed. There is almost always a live thread here that is basically old white people mocking different perspectives and almost always manages to get a dig in at rap or hip-hop, but always include the perspective that young non-whites are mistaken in their opinions. Right now we have: > [@Things you don't "get" anymore](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-dont-get-anymore/970197): > > topic possibly age related, hence the “anymore” in the title cosplay … don’t get me wrong - Im happy that peeps seem to enjoy it, and all but I don’t get it … is it just dressing up as some real or unreal persona? or is there more to it? or do you just walk around dressed like a japanes comic figure? (insert yours here) > [@A contemporary review of Psycho: "campy" and "funny"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-contemporary-review-of-psycho-campy-and-funny/970474/28): > > It may not be funny, but Norman Bates dressed up as his mother qualifies as campy in my book. [[image] ](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2Ff4b88ec2-22cd-11e7-bc20-132b509ff5ce.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/29 "2022-09-04T12:45:13Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I think it’s fair to describe this place as aggressively white. _Very_ much so. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/30 "2022-09-04T12:47:00Z")
What, if anything, can be done about it? I just wish we’d be a little more introspective when presented with different perspectives, rather than our usual knee jerk eye roll and defense of the status quo. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/31 "2022-09-04T12:58:57Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > What, if anything, can be done about it? Way different moderation around racism might have helped, years ago. Now, there’s nothing to be done. I stay here out of habit more than anything. I certainly don’t recommend it to any of the POCs I interact with in other forums. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/32 "2022-09-04T13:00:24Z")
Yeah, it does seem like the time to have done something has passed. I hope I’m wrong, though. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/33 "2022-09-04T19:32:32Z")
Regardless of whether we’re talking age, sexism, or racism, success comes while you’ve still got enough variety that anyone who stumbles on the place can find something of interest to them and not too much that’s actively off-putting. Once any sort of club / group stops attracting much new blood, it quickly begins to both age in place and also introspective groupthink starts to take over. Both factors are separately internally reinforcing spirals that, working synergistically together, spell doom for lots of organizations. The predominant demographics of the Dope today are 60-69 because the predominant demographic 15-20 years ago when most of us got here was 40-49. We’re not attracting fresh 60-somethings. We really aren’t. But far worse, we’re not attracting fresh 40- or 20- somethings either. And that’s what’s gonna crash this place eventually. We’re all taking a long walk on our increasingly short personal pier. The same logic applies to non cis-males, to non-whites, etc. We might, a bit, be turning the corner on at least the simpler varieties of LGTBQ… Might. Much like the rest of society. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/34 "2022-09-04T19:41:50Z")
I am a 61-year-old male. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/35 "2022-09-04T19:44:52Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > But far worse, we’re not attracting fresh 40- or 20- somethings either. And that’s what’s gonna crash this place eventually. We’re all taking a long walk on our increasingly short personal pier. Just addressing age… this place is heavily verbal and quite literate, well-informed, and biased toward correct grammar. Is that likely to appeal to 20-40 somethings? My casual impression is that that age group IN GENERAL favors short ~~sound~~ word bites and plenty of pictures-- Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook (the last not so much any more). A new person clicks in to the SDMB and what do they see: walls o’ text and some pretty intellectual thread topics. Plus no animated text and minimal emojis. Where’s the appeal to someone under age 50? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/36 "2022-09-04T20:09:07Z")
My guess is that we skew -Above average IQ, literate, older, white, male and liberal. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/37 "2022-09-04T20:34:32Z")
Ya that’s it. Younger, non-white people are probably just too stupid to appreciate this message board. Mystery solved. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/38 "2022-09-04T20:38:08Z")
Where did race come into discussion of younger demographics’ post-literacy? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/39 "2022-09-04T20:38:25Z")
The same argument can be made for most people over 50 though. We’re a self-selecting group and I think with message boards being functionally extinct platforms and that most of us found the Straight Dope between 1990 and 2010 younger people are far less likely to self-select for it. Add to that, that the Straight Dope is not even published any more and as a Free Press column belongs to another time. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834/40 "2022-09-04T21:40:34Z")
> [@Chingon](#): > > Ya that’s it. Younger, non-white people are probably just too stupid to appreciate this message board. Mystery solved. Grrr. Please extract the words you planted in my mouth. 😡 See if you can figure out which words those are. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > The same argument can be made for most people over 50 though. True. I’ve sent people threads from here, but no one has been intrigued enough to stick around. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-demographics/970834.md?page=3)