NEWS COPY - BY Emma Elsworthy
Which foods are now good for you, what “grime” music actually is and why Kim Kardashian gets paid so much money for doing nothing have been hailed among a list of the 50 most confusing things in modern life.
Researchers who carried out a study among 2,000 adults also found paying for a train seat – only to end up standing – confused many.
How Donald Trump has not yet been impeached, the laws of cricket and automated phone systems also made the list, as did setting up a Wi-Fi network and understanding why a printer has broken down.
The study was conducted by Yale, whose spokesman, Steve Roberts said:
“There are a hundred and one things to be confused about in today’s fast-paced, constantly connected world, so it’s easy to feel a little overwhelmed.
“Our survey found that an overwhelming majority of people find things more confusing than they need to be.
"We think security is one area that shouldn’t be anything but simple.”
Financial jargon leaves many of the population confused with one quarter admitting they have no idea what most terms mean.
And nearly a fifth say they can’t understand why Piers Morgan is still on TV – or why sitcom Mrs. Brown’s Boys is so popular.
Also appearing on the list was why there are so many options on a washing machine, and why women buy shoes which look good but don’t fit properly, yet still insist on wearing them.
Brits also admitted to being confused by predictive text, and why “global warming” actually seems to make the weather colder.
Just over one in 10 say they’re confused by how to security-proof their home properly - more than those who question their children’s education.
As a result, 87 per cent of respondents wish life was simpler, and seven in 10 could do with some quick fixes to make their life smoother.
During an average day, Brits will spend a quarter of an hour scratching their heads feeling confused about something.
In fact, more than a third of the population believe they are less productive due to the time spent feeling confused.
And four in 10 Brits who think they’re overly busy put the blame on an over-complicated lifestyle.
The spokesman for Yale, who conducted the study via OnePoll.com, added: “Some of the confusing things we found in our list were light hearted, like parallel parking or why men feel the need to read on the loo.
“But others were more serious, showing we don’t fully understand important parts of everyday life like banking, insurance and home security.
“With such a wide range of home security solutions on the market, it can be confusing to know where to start with protecting your home, but we think that securing your home should never be anything but simple.
“So, as part of our new ‘Security made simple’ initiative, we have highlighted a few simple steps so you can keep your home secure and make sure your belongings aren’t easy pickings for thieves, such as making sure your door and window locks meet British standards, leaving valuables out of site, don’t post about leaving home on social media and invest in a secure home alarm.”
THE 50 MOST CONFUSING THINGS IN LIFE
1. Why Kim Kardashian gets paid so much money for doing nothing
2. Financial jargon
3. How Donald Trump has not been impeached
4. Foreign call centres
5. Why some young adults wear their trousers around their bottom
6. Small print
7. Why Mrs Brown's Boys is so popular
8. Why do young people like Jeremy Corbyn so much?
9. Algebra
10. Why is Piers Morgan still on TV?
11. Why haven't we left the EU yet?
12. Politics
13. What 'Grime' music actually is
14. Why people voted for Brexit
15. The gender neutral debate
16. Why so many people are now 'gluten free'
17. Which foods are now good for you
18. The laws of cricket
19. Why there are so many options on the washing machine
20. The offside rule in football
21. Why sexism still exists
22. Paying for a seat on a the train only to not get a seat
23. Why women buy shoes which look good but don't fit and insist on wearing them out
24. Why everyone is into football
25. Stephen Hawkins's Big Bang theory
26. Loan interest rates
27. Poker
28. All the different lottery draws
29. Credit card interest rates
30. Filling out insurance forms
31. Setting up wireless networks
32. Why kids want to be YouTube stars
33. Speaking a language
34. Automated phone systems
35. Figuring out nutritional information on food labels
36. Off peak and peak train fares
37. Why everyone is talking to Alexa
38. Predictive text
39. Re-tuning the TV
40. Getting money back from the tax man
41. Buying a house
42. Why Theresa May hasn't got a personality
43. Boris Johnson
44. The printer breaking down
45. Why global warming makes the world colder
46. Twitter
47. Why does Donald Trump hold onto people's hands too long in handshakes?
48. When to use the words 'affect' and 'effect'
49. Computers
50. What your council tax is for
ENDS
