3 Things To Know: Heightened Concern Over Political Violence, Declining Trust in NFL Player Safety, and Americans Embrace Solo Activities

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1. The majority of Americans are now ‘very’ concerned about political violence.?

Following the apparent second assassination attempt on former President Trump, the share of Americans who are ‘very’ concerned about political violence targeting politicians and their families has risen by three points since the first attempted assassination in July. Overall concern levels among Democrats increased but remained consistent with July data among. Independents, meanwhile, have become notably less concerned about the issue since July.

2. Americans are losing trust in the NFL to handle player safety and some fans are rethinking whether to keep watching.

Player safety is a hot button issue for the NFL and one the league has worked to address recently through rule changes , new head protection , and a warning about safety violations. Despite these efforts, player safety was once again thrust into the national spotlight when Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion , the third in his NFL career, in a primetime game against Buffalo.

The injury certainly hasn’t helped improve concerns about player safety. New CivicScience data show that Americans have grown less trusting of the NFL to handle player safety since January 2023 when Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest – the percentage who ‘don’t trust the NFL at all’ has increased by three percentage points. Meanwhile, an increasing number of NFL viewers have considered not watching the games as a result.?

Take Our Poll: How concerned are you, if at all, about player safety in the NFL?

3. Activities traditionally done socially are increasingly being done solo, with dining out, concerts, and moviegoing among the most popular.

According to the restaurant reservation site OpenTable, solo dining reservations are up 29% over two years ago . It comes amidst a larger shift in how Americans engage in traditional social experiences, with solo concert and moviegoing also gaining prominence.

Fresh CivicScience polling finds that restaurant dining is the most common solo activity, with more than half of U.S. adults (led by Baby Boomers) saying they have been to a restaurant alone in the past year. Millennials are more likely than other Americans to go to bars/cafes and concerts by themselves, while solo moviegoing is most popular among Gen Z adults.

Let us know: How comfortable are you with dining out by yourself? ???

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