A rising trend in disaster preparedness is being observed among younger Americans, with concerns ranging from global pandemics to the upcoming 2024 presidential election driving their proactive approach.
Recent data from a Finder.com poll revealed that 39% of American Millennials and 40% of Gen Zers have allocated funds toward disaster prepping in the past 12 months. In contrast, only 29% of the general American population reported spending money on emergency preparedness during the same period.
Anthropology professor Chad Huddleston from Southern Illinois University noted the pervasive worry among younger individuals about the possibility of a recurring event similar to the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential disruptions it could bring to daily life.
The preparedness industry has witnessed a surge in interest, with the coronavirus pandemic acting as a catalyst for heightened awareness. Drew Miller, CEO of Fortitude Collapse Preparedness and Fortitude Ranch, emphasized the long-standing understanding within the preparedness community that events like electric grid failures or real pandemics could lead to disruptions in daily life.
Patrick McCall, president of the McCall Risk Group firm, pointed out the scarcity of emergency preparedness offerings online in 2017 compared to the current landscape shaped by the challenges posed by COVID-19.
Both Miller and McCall also highlighted the role of the 2024 presidential election as a motivating factor for individuals on both sides of the political spectrum. Concerns about a possible civil war next year, driven by the anticipation of a contentious election outcome, were cited as significant motivators for disaster preparedness.
Brekke Wagoner, a Millennial who operates the YouTube channel Sustainable Prepping, suggested that the trend would likely persist as political landscapes both nationally and internationally grow more chaotic. Wagoner emphasized that the pandemic and uncertainties in politics have prompted younger generations to reconsider the stability of systems they had taken for granted.
Experts caution against characterizing this behavior as “doomsday prepping.” Professor Chad Huddleston clarified that the impulse to stock up on supplies is driven more by the recognition of supply chain vulnerabilities exposed during the pandemic, rather than a belief in an imminent societal collapse.
While the recent figures indicate a decrease from the peak of disaster preparedness during the height of the pandemic, they still represent a noteworthy increase compared to previous years. The 2023 survey results surpassed those from 2019 and 2017, signifying a growing awareness and inclination among Americans, particularly younger ones, to proactively prepare for unforeseen challenges in the future.
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Article generated from corporate media reports.
Independent Journalism Is Dying
Ever since President Trump’s miraculous victory, we’ve heard an incessant drumbeat about how legacy media is dying. This is true. The people have awakened to the reality that they’re being lied to by the self-proclaimed “Arbiters of Truth” for the sake of political expediency, corporate self-protection, and globalist ambitions.
But even as independent journalism rises to fill the void left by legacy media, there is still a huge challenge. Those at the top of independent media like Joe Rogan, Dan Bongino, and Tucker Carlson are thriving and rightly so. They have earned their audience and the financial rewards that come from it. They’ve taken risks and worked hard to get to where they are.
For “the rest of us,” legacy media and their proxies are making it exceptionally difficult to survive, let alone thrive. They still have a stranglehold over the “fact checkers” who have a dramatic impact on readership and viewership. YouTube, Facebook, and Google still stifle us. The freer speech platforms like Rumble and 𝕏 can only reward so many of their popular content creators. For independent journalists on the outside looking in, our only recourse is to rely on affiliates and sponsors.
But even as it seems nearly impossible to make a living, there are blessings that should not be disregarded. By highlighting strong sponsors who share our America First worldview, we have been able to make lifelong connections and even a bit of revenue to help us along. This is why we enjoy symbiotic relationships with companies like MyPillow, Jase Medical, and Promised Grounds. We help them with our recommendations and they reward us with money when our audience buys from them.
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Even our faith-driven precious metals sponsor helps us tremendously while also helping Americans protect their life’s savings. We are blessed to work with them.
Independent media is the future. In many ways, that future is already here. While the phrase, “the more the merrier,” does not apply to this business because there are still some bad actors in the independent media field, there are many great ones that do not get nearly enough attention. We hope to change that one content creator at a time.
Thank you and God Bless,
JD Rucker
