# Harper’s Index

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harper-s-index/845464>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 27, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harper-s-index/845464 "2019-12-27T19:30:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harper-s-index/845464/1 "2019-12-27T19:30:51Z")

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Every month, Harper’s magazine lists a bunch of random statistics. Most of them like seem reasonable numbers, even though some of them are (as meant) slightly surprising or shocking.

The January list:

Number of suspected different forms of torture used by the Syrian government: 72  
Factor women more likely to develop PTSD: 2.5  
Penalty NYPD cops for domestic violence: 30d  
Penalty NYPD cops rude to superior: 60d  
Rank of 2018, deadliest year for cyclists: 1  
For pedestrians: 1  
% Uber drivers who never tip: 60  
Who always tip: 1 (I don’t buy this)  
% higher tip by males to female drivers: 12  
Value of possessions lost drinking alcohol: $192  
That average North Dakotan lost: $380  
Number grams plastic ingested per week: 5  
% gamers skipped a meal: 38 (gotta be higher)  
Skipped a shower: 25

# Mins/day teens look at screens: 409-512

(For household incomes \>100k, \<35k)

# states days off for student mental health: 4

Millennials left job for mental health: 1 in 3  
Gen-Z left job for mental health: 1 in 2 (Really?)  
% schools with police officers: 40 (Really?)  
Increase spending since 2013, public schools to monitor email: 2%  
#US colleges track prospects web activity: \>33  
#US states use AI to grade student essays: 21

# unaccounted for in 2020 census: 4m

# polls closed in US South since 2012: 1327

% of those in Texas: 50  
% Republicans, “Dems too extreme”: 76  
% Democrats, “Reps too extreme”: 76  
Avg tax rate, richest 400 households: 23  
Poorest half of US households: 24  
% tweets, adults over 50: 29  
% US who say they follow news closely: 28  
Of black Americans: 46

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**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2019, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harper-s-index/845464/2 "2019-12-27T21:30:45Z")

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Trying to parse that list is taxing my brain. BBCode is pretty simple to use.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harper-s-index/845464/3 "2019-12-27T21:40:46Z")

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Harper’s always cites their sources. Did you check out that for the ones you question?

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**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2019, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harper-s-index/845464/4 "2019-12-27T23:01:53Z")

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I’m sure the numbers are accurate reflections of the cites. As a Canadian, a police officer in 40% of schools seems surprising. I understand it, but still.

50% of GenZs voluntarily left a job due to mental health issues? Sure, depression and anxiety rates are probably climbing. But that seems like an awfully high number to me.

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**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2019, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harper-s-index/845464/5 "2019-12-27T23:10:22Z")

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> [@Dr\_Paprika](#):
>
> I’m sure the numbers are accurate reflections of the cites. As a Canadian, a police officer in 40% of schools seems surprising. I understand it, but still.
> 
> 50% of GenZs voluntarily left a job due to mental health issues? Sure, depression and anxiety rates are probably climbing. But that seems like an awfully high number to me.

Some of those may be “Working here sucks. It’s making me crazy. I quit”

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**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harper-s-index/845464/6 "2019-12-28T00:18:18Z")

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> [@Dr\_Paprika](#):
>
> I’m sure the numbers are accurate reflections of the cites. As a Canadian, a police officer in 40% of schools seems surprising. I understand it, but still.

Canadian schools or American schools? That number actually seems low for American schools, since nowadays most public schools have a police officer.

> **[The prevalence of police officers in US schools](https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/prevalence-police-officers-us-schools)**
>
> More than two-thirds of high school students already attend a school with a police officer present.