With Christmas and New Years Day right around the corner, no doubt anxieties are rising on how much to spend and what to buy for the holidays in Maine.

Harvard-educated economist, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, took advantage of Google searches with the keyword 'anxiety' and was a bit taken back at what he found.

According to his research, Maine was noted as the most anxious state in the Union.

It's kind of hard to believe that a state that is nicknamed 'Vacationland' would have people living here with anxiety levels over 21-percent of the national average.

He also found that Presque Isle is the most anxious city in the Pine Tree State.

My question would be, what are we so anxious about? Jobs? Economy? The Mall population? Who knows?

Stephens-Davidowitz, who posted his findings as an opinion piece in the New York Times as an Op-Ed, had brought out that less than 20-percent of the people have Bachelors Degrees.

The Boston Globe showed that people on Main Street were interviewed about their thoughts on the subject and the answers varied from no worries to not knowing who would say that they are anxious, to people who actually take anxiety medication.

On the other hand, some residents stated that it may have to do with people not making enough money to be able to afford the high oil costs to heat their homes or providing basic necessities for themselves because of that.

The economist's commented and observed that Presque Isle's population of low-income earnings and less educated may have something to do with it also.

What are your thoughts? Do you feel anxious? Do you know of people who live with anxiety because of some of the reasons mentioned above, or is it something else? Or do you think Mr. Stephens-Davidowitz is just straight off his rocker?

Share your thoughts and comments in the section below. We'd love to hear from you.

 

 

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