These studies are often marketing tools, just a bit of fun, and rarely the result of serious investigation. But in today’s media this type of ‘research’ sits alongside more serious data, and increasingly seems to be hell-bent on proving that our lives are getting worse, with falling standards, increased poverty and an unhealthy, joyless existence.
It got me thinking. Has life really deteriorated so much? Well, I’m happy to announce that my one-woman non-scientific research concludes that no, it’s not all bad news.
Take teeth, for instance. Over three generations there have been dramatic improvements.
My parents’ generation replaced all their gnashers with false teeth but my age group kept theirs, albeit held together by fillings. Thanks to fluoride and better dental health education our children very rarely need dental treatment at all.
Of course modern life is far from perfect but there must be many more examples of life getting better. Let’s have some positive research for once.
SORRY to lower the mood again but I was surprised to discover that it is nine years since the Tube bombs – the 7/7 attacks which killed 52 and injured 700.
I remember the day vividly. A puzzled Mr F, who was on the underground – he commuted daily to Westminster – texted me to say there was some problem with the trains. An electrical fault, they were being told.
As the truth of the Al-Qaeda attack filtered in I, and thousands of others, were desperate to know their loved ones were safe.
Mr F then texted to let me know they had been herded off the train and on to a bus. Phew. I got on with my day but while at Northwood doing an interview for the paper, someone came in to tell us a bus had been blown up. I was petrified.
For us it ended happily – he wasn’t on that bus – but I’ve never forgotten the terrible feeling that for many others sadly turned into a permanent tragedy. It also made me so grateful to be living in a world which has mobile phones.
Definitely another modern advancement to celebrate.
Email me! bm@ilbarbara@gmail.com and catch up at www.getwestlondon.co.uk/authors/barbara-fisher/
