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headgasketidiot t1_ivy68tc wrote

Methodology is absolute crap and does not support that conclusion.

>The study, conducted by addiction specialists at Diamond Rehab Thailand, analyzed Google Trends data for a selection of stress-relief terms to see which states were more stressed-out compared to others.

They're comparing what terms the different states are googling. Going from what people are googling to how stressed they are is crazy and unsupported leap to make.

Also the "addiction specialists" are a for-profit rehab center doing a blog post (aka a "study") for marketing.

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Human802 t1_ivyhcb9 wrote

Yeah the data could indicate that Vermonter are more into self care, so they search for stress remedies more often.

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SabbathBoiseSabbath t1_ivyqy6g wrote

This is where we are in 2022.

The veracity and methodology of "studies" no longer matter. All that matters is that a study was conducted and you can generate headlines from it.

Now people can find this study and use it as "proof" of some argument they're trying to make, whatever that might be.

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[deleted] t1_ivz05qb wrote

It's the SLOW INTERNET. After trying for so long to download an email, the stress levels go up and the most common reaction is then to search for solutions.

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[deleted] t1_ivyoflp wrote

All that might mean, at best, is that vermonters are more concerned about stress related (possibly) or perhaps more generally health related issues. With an elderly and aging population that should be no surprise. If anything it could indicate lower levels of stress, if the searches are proactive.

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DamonKatze t1_ivyp30q wrote

Or one person really stressed out about their obsessive googling addiction...

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Generic_Commenter-X t1_ivz0bjq wrote

Also, unless I missed it, the article doesn't state why Vermonters are stressed. The going assumption among some commenters here is that it is affordability, but that might have nothing to do with it. So far, it just seems like an opportunity for everyone to apply the "findings", such as they are, to their personal obsession/peeve/political ideology and say: See! See!?! We gotta do something about this! I, YES ME, told you!

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[deleted] t1_ivyhz1f wrote

[deleted]

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headgasketidiot t1_ivykwmq wrote

Yeah but you have to actually do a study to determine that relationship, which is exactly backwards from what this "study" did.

Flu rates are a much simpler metric than "most stressed," which is a very squishy phrase that they don't even bother to define. Afaik no one tracks stress levels nationally, and if they do, there's a million different ways that'll give you a million different answers. "How stressed are people" is a very different question from "how many people have the flu." Even if they wanted to do this right, it would be a lot harder because the CDC can't just give you a number for you to correlate with search data.

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burke_no_sleeps t1_ivyl8mv wrote

I get where you're coming from but I think there's a big difference between those two uses.

Googling symptoms of flu most likely means you think you have the flu and are using Google as a form of symptom checklist.

Googling stress relief methods could indicate you're stressed, or that you're doing research, curious, discussing different methods w friends & family, etc.

I don't think people are Googling "am I stressed (based on the following symptoms x y z)" - they already know they are - but they may not be sure whether they have the flu or a cold.

Correlation =/= causation.

Disappointing, though, because that's an interesting concept for a study - what factors contribute to stress and which areas of the country have the highest number of those factors.

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Badbadluuck t1_iw65c23 wrote

I mean NH and VT consistently rank very high in alcohol consumption per capita. So there’s that.

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cpujockey t1_ivyphsl wrote

they shouldn't use the einsteins' bar is homophobic guy as a gauge of vermont stress levels.

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ThisistheInfiniteIs t1_ivy6919 wrote

According to: The Diamond, luxury alcohol & drug addiction rehab center.

Yeah, this isn't a "study" this is clearly just a marketing campaign that channel 8 WTNH fell for.

Edit: spelling

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witchrist t1_ivya9if wrote

yeah this is….not a credible source. haha.

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ThisistheInfiniteIs t1_ivyb9hl wrote

Seriously, WTF WTNH?

Is your news desk run by interns, or someone getting paid by a shady rehab in Thailand?

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HenryEppVPR t1_ivyigut wrote

Newsrooms get sent press releases about these kinds of "studies" almost every day. Pretty much every one of them is BS, but they're tailor-made to be clickbait, so some local outlets write them up. You hate to see it.

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destructo767 t1_ivy0zaw wrote

...and now I'm even more stressed out about how stressed we all are

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likeahurricane t1_ivy4a91 wrote

Or we're just more aware of it, hence trying to read about it online?

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Gregor_the_headless t1_ivy5ysg wrote

Exactly what I was thinking. People in economically depressed states are likely SIGNIFICANTLY more stressed than others, but a lot of them are also not home to the type of people to self seek help.

I think this shows that Vermonters are some of the most likely people to seek help for the stress they’re facing. Not surprising from one of the healthiest states in the country.

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Jaynie_ t1_ivy4bed wrote

I’m stressed because there aren’t enough people here to build connections. Community matters

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greenmtnfiddler t1_ivyawab wrote

Huh? There are multiple connected communities in my area: sports leagues, library, land conservation commission, fire/emt crew, open mic, literacy volunteers, meals-on-wheels, choral societies, garage bands, community orchestras, skate park, town band, MTG/gamers groups, parents-of-preschoolers. Where are you living that it's too sparse to have any of these? Even in the NEK there are options if you look. Granted that transportation is a huge issue, you have to have a car to get to all of these, but that's true for the whole northeast.

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dropkickninja t1_ivyik5h wrote

I bet Norton doesnt have a whole lot of community events going on.

im pretty sure they all go to canada. canaan is the closest vermont town and.... its canaan.

that said it is a nice area. lots of moose.

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Jaynie_ t1_ivygyua wrote

There are a few. I'm in the upper valley

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ProLicks t1_ivyi2gb wrote

I grew up in Brattleboro, went to school at UVM, and then moved to Addison County, but part of the staff that I help to manage for work now is down in White River Junction...and that place is just different, for better and for worse.

If relocation is a possibility for you, moving close to Chittenden County can often strike the balance between job availiability, social life, and affordability - provided you don't mind driving 30-45 minutes to work every day. For a small state, Vermont is incredibly regional, and the next town over can sometimes feel a world away. Take advantage of that, if you can.

Regardless, good luck finding your tribe and some sense of place - we all deserve that.

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numetalbeatsjazz t1_ivyama0 wrote

Which is funny, I feel the opposite. I moved here from a congested suburb where I felt like a faceless drone. I moved here 10 years ago first to a town of 1000 and now to a town of 200. While I see plenty of drawbacks to living in a town this small, I definitely feel like a valued member of the community. It helps that I worked at a local hardware store where I got to know damn near everyone. That , coupled with getting involved in my local government and I feel like I have way more connections now. I also feel like making friends has some how been easier. I feel having such a smaller pool of people makes it easier to make a lasting connection. Like when I lived in the burbs, people who shared my ideals and interests were a dime a dozen. Not so much here. So when i meet some one, we become fast friends due to the shear lack of likeminded people.

Granted, I was in my mid 20s before and living mainly for myself and was hardly politically involved. I think age plays a good part, but the smaller, tight knit communities can't be ignored either.

Not invalidating your feelings at all, just sharing my own experience.

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Jaynie_ t1_ivyhlx0 wrote

thanks for clarifying that you're not invalidating my feelings. My experience and feelings are real. I'm not getting into all the details but there are details. I'm not friendless and alone, but I am queer and forming a very small community has taken many years and even still, we all want more people to add into the community. It can happen but as a single mom working 50 hours a week, its also not really feasible for me to lead the program of making it happen.

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burke_no_sleeps t1_ivymb70 wrote

Oof I hear you on that one. Queer small town life is hard enough - add parenting on top of it and socialization seems like a faraway dream.

I'm glad you have a small community, and as your kids get bigger you'll be able to find more time for yourself! You'll get there, even in a tiny town.

I recommend the site "meetme" for finding get-togethers, online or in person, so you can meet new people. I started using it during the pandemic to fend off isolation and I've met a couple of cool folks. Good luck! Be patient!

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swordsman917 t1_ivy4zg5 wrote

Between that and cost of living…

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Jaynie_ t1_ivy51p3 wrote

Yes cost of living is a huge part too

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sonnylarson t1_ivy9a8h wrote

Cost of living would be fine if you could just build a good community around it… but more and more it feels like we are getting what we paid for

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swordsman917 t1_ivy9tzj wrote

That’s just untrue. When you can’t afford to heat your home, it doesn’t matter how your neighbors are doing.

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Syncope7 t1_ivycaon wrote

Move to Boston then, seriously. There is an excellent community there. Not everyone desires a large, tightly knit community. Some thrive on having a few friends and mostly solitude.

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whaletacochamp t1_ivy7sdj wrote

Idk man, I feel like I’m stressed globally/nationally and chill locally. I honestly don’t think I could take the shit happening in this country/world if I DIDNT live in VT

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greenmtnfiddler t1_ivyba3z wrote

I'm with you. The economics/transportation/real estate issues are tough, but at least we don't have racist/Trumpian/apocalyptic billboards and church signs every hundred yards, and no one's "monitoring" election sites with Uzi's. And there's trees.

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whaletacochamp t1_ivyemky wrote

It’s the trees for me

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AKAManaging t1_ivyol34 wrote

A tree fell on top of my neighbors car one winter about three years ago.

Now I can't even park under a tree without getting anxiety. :p

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fungiyenta t1_ivy292m wrote

This is interesting, even with cost of living I can imagine other states being much, much more stressful to live in. I wonder if this is because people actually are conscientious of mental health and so know to Google about their stress, depression and anxiety rather than repressing it?

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they_have_no_bullets t1_ivy35r8 wrote

Vermont is the most educated state, so it is probably because we are actually aware of all the terrible stuff going on (eg, climate change, covid, systemic naked short selling and impending financial collapse, etc)

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mango_murderer t1_ivy52vy wrote

This is untrue, MA is the most educated state, Vermont is #8 I believe. And if DC were considered a state, it would beat everyone

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they_have_no_bullets t1_ivy5h3r wrote

Alright i stand corrected. But i was speaking from memory and i could have sworn that 10 years or so ago we were 1 or 2...

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PestoChicken_Bart t1_ivy8qir wrote

Nope, Vermonts always been in the back half of the top 10. I used to think what you did but realized it was probably the superiority complex I think a lot of Vermonters have.

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Nickmorgan19457 t1_ivy4cqo wrote

Don’t forget watching hopelessly as the worst parts of the country dive headfirst in the christofascism.

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they_have_no_bullets t1_ivy504g wrote

Yeah. Ive actually considered registering as a republican just in case they eventually use their jerrymandering software to output a hit list once the christofascists go full nazi

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obiwanjabroni420 t1_ivy6zzc wrote

Just a heads up you seem to be about one or two steps away from believing in batshit QAnon-type conspiracies, just from the other direction.

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friedmpa t1_ivy4c8p wrote

How little control we have over anything and the passage of time, a great combination!

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greenmtnramble t1_ivy4itn wrote

Good point, I think overall we also have a population that's very engaged and participates at a higher rate in studies and polls.

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alfonseski t1_ivy5k7b wrote

Very much this. We used to play the would you rather game a bunch. One card was Would you rather be Beautiful and dumb or really smart and very unattractive. Time and time again the answer was the first one, "Ignorance is bliss"

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bookpetals t1_ivy6nzr wrote

Was going to say something similar. Ignorance truly is bliss I guess.

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fungiyenta t1_ivy4b82 wrote

I had never heard of naked short selling and now I’m stressed about it 😁 thanks for educating me

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elefantsblue t1_ivy63uo wrote

The most educated state nobody can afford to live in with no industry. Sounds like people were studying the wrong things.

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herklederkleferkle t1_ivy7y8q wrote

I grew up in VT. In my adult life I’ve tried to live in-state to be close to family and friends a couple of times. The cost of living, transportation woes, low-wages, and lack of professional development opportunities proved to be too much each time. I’ve lived abroad and in various places across the east coast. In my personal experience VT is the most difficult place to live without a very strong financial support network. I still have lingering anxiety from my time(s) in VT. Outside of VT (currently in NY) I’ve found the financial pressures are significantly reduced.

Again, personal experience. The friends I have who stayed in state all have financial support coming from their families, none of them have to try and eek out a living on a completely independent basis. VT is super stressful if you don’t have a solid chunk of $$.

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sinkinginkling t1_ivy8afd wrote

This is just shitty inconclusive “research”. This is a dumb study based on google searches related to “stress”. Just because people are not looking up info about stress does not mean they don’t feel it.

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Effinehright t1_ivygzlu wrote

Its because hibernation could start any day now....

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RigatoniGibroni t1_ivyjy3w wrote

These studies always have soooooo many holes in them

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Haltmaw t1_ivz6g88 wrote

lol

lmao

No

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deadbalconytree t1_iw016ka wrote

While this ‘study’ is garbage, if someone did measure the average stress level of Vermonters right at this moment, I’m certain my wife working in the other room right now would surely be skewing the results.

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smcski t1_iw07py1 wrote

Can confirm.

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BothCourage9285 t1_ivy6llg wrote

For anyone following r/Vermont and r/burlington this is kinda obvious

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HardTacoKit t1_ivyazi6 wrote

Vermont has such a small sample size that we seem to skew to the top or bottom of every study.

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Mcspinna t1_ivyzzdo wrote

I would think researching about your stress would be healthier than pushing it aside and not looking up how to cope. I could draw the very opposite conclusion from this “study”.

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Designer-Refuse5497 t1_ivzyy8r wrote

I guess I will need to book a ticket to thailand and relax.

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March-Neat t1_iw0ms0h wrote

stressed on finding pot in a legal state kind of way ??

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thisoneisnotasbad t1_ivygo4d wrote

I still sometimes google how to build a bomb and blow up the Super Bowl just to check if I’m being watched. Figure I am but nobody has shown up to ask about it yet.

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Calligraphee t1_ivyg96h wrote

I'm not especially surprised. Those of us who are native can barely (or just can't) afford to live there anymore. Just trying to exist in our homes causes stress with all the new people buying up anything affordable.

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bobsizzle t1_ivz1jzu wrote

Not surprising to anyone who reads Reddit. If America was food, Vermont would be tofu. and not even firm tofu. Silken.

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kcdarkwindows t1_ivzdk7w wrote

It's miserably cold 4 months a year, the rest is almost too damn humid and hot to do anything. It's in the top 5 most expensive states in the country to live in, there is nothing much to do here. So yeah, I'd agree.

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Live-Vermicelli-8771 t1_ivzmlks wrote

It's 2022 and y'all are just now questioning studies? What happened to 2 years ago when everyone was over politicized and regurgitating numbers at one another?

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sonnylarson t1_ivy93te wrote

Is this why I feel more relaxed after driving from Vermont to Jersey last night?

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Ok-Title-270 t1_iw0a9hv wrote

Well ya all y'all buy the COVID propaganda and think climate change is gonna kill us all in about 45 minutes. I'd be stressed too

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