Statistics what do they actually mean
Imagine for a moment the newspaper headline
99.9% of people never achieve their possible earning potential
For many of us it would provide the exact “hook” that the newspaper intended and the majority of us would read on to find out what we are missing, however there is something essential missing from the above statement which is the basis upon which the statistic was assessed – as yourself – would you be so keen to read on if that same headline read –
99.9% of people never achieve their possible earning potential when wages are compared to that of a Premier League football player
Odds are you would think that rather than an eye-catching statistic this was a blatantly obvious fact and unless you had a particular interest in Premier League footballers wages you would probably not be alone in disregarding the article.
Obviously, we made this one up but we in the GFD HQ offices home of Solidor Timber Composite Doors do not believe that we are the only ones who believe that absurd statistics are being used by the media on an increasing basis to justify sensational headlines.
As ardent watchers of the news a few of us in the office noted that the good old BBC a regular offender in these statistics excelled themselves last week when in one 30-minute news slot they started the programme with an article with a news item saying that –
25% of children now lived in “Child poverty”
And ended it with an item stating that –
30% of schoolchildren were now considered medically obese
A contradiction – possibly not but it certainly makes you worry about the 45% of possibly normal children out there who could be the subject of other statistics to the point where if anyone added the figures up there would be no one normal
Please don’t get us started on to Polar Bears where we have seen reports on the same day in different newspapers stating alternatively that they are –
- On the verge of extinction
Or
- Rapidly expanding in numbers.
And our point is simple if we keep exaggerating “statistics” we keep diluting their credibility to the point where no-one will believe them. At GFD HQ all of our web sites Timber Composite Doors, Global Door, Composite Door Prices, Eurosecure and WarmCore Homes use statistics particularly to emphasise the security aspects of our product – the statistics we use are researched and are obtained from reliable sources – Government documents, Police/ Insurance crime figures etc we are not trying to create sensational headlines we do however see it as our duty to inform our clients of the most reliable facts available – check out our Timber Composite door Ultion Door Security page where we advise the following information –
74% of burglaries are through the door
(up from 71% 2014)
Source: Crime Survey for England and Wales, Office for National Statistics.
Facts not fiction – Statistics that should mean something to the discerning reader we are not trying to frighten anyone into buying a new door we are simply providing the factual information that you need to review when you are considering the purchase of a new door.