Current level of student debt, now greater than credit card and car loan obligations, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York: $1.1 trillion

While U.S. jobs are paying an average of 23 percent less since 2008, percentage rise in the overall cost of a degree from a four-year public school, according to research by Crown Financial Ministries: 27

Source: Crown.

Percentage of America's children under the age of 18 who live with at least one grandparent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 10

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of men who admit to viewing porn while their bosses assume they are busy working, according to a survey by Proven Men Ministries and conducted by Barna Group: 63

Percentage of women who are also sneaking a peak at porn while on the job: 36

Source: Proven Men Ministries Ltd.

Average number of resumes that advertising and marketing executives say they receive for every open creative position, according to a national survey developed by The Creative Group: 23

Average number of applicants they interview before filling the position: 6

Source: The Creative Group.

Percentage of postsecondary students who report they still have a lot to learn about managing finances, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos Reid: 87

Percentage of students who particularly indicate that they wish they knew how much all the "little extras" cost: 42

Percentage who wish they knew more about budgeting: 41

Source: Ipsos Reid Public Affairs.

As of July 2014, percentage of all employed people, or nearly 6.8 million Americans, who worked more than one job, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics: 4.6

Since the recession's official end in June 2009, the average monthly number of this group -- about a half-million below the average during the 2001-07 expansion, and nearly 800,000 below the 1994-99 average: 7 million

Source: Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends.

Percentage of men who have urinated in a bush or tree in a non-residential area, compared with 36 percent of women, according to a Yougov.com survey: 71

Percentage of both sexes who have gone in the sea: 41

Source: YouGov.

Number of minutes of media consumed per day before children's grades, sleep, social skills and emotional balance start to decline, according to findings by The Learning Habit: 45 minutes

After four hours per day, percentage of children in middle school who receive A's in mathematics and English language arts: 1

After four hours of screen time, number of times longer it takes children to fall asleep than children with limited media use: 20

Source: Good Parent Inc.

Percentage of millennials who do not have a credit card, according to a Bankrate.com report: 63

Percentage of adults 30 and over who have zero credit cards in their wallets: 35

Of those millennials with credit cards, percentage who pay their entire balance every month, compared to 53 percent of adults 30 and older: 40

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of "Generation Z" teens (ages 13 to 17) who indicate that homeownership is the most important factor in achieving the American Dream, according to the findings of a national study by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate: 82

Ranks of graduating from college, getting married and having children on the list of what constitutes the American Dream for 89 percent of Gen Z teens: 2, 3, 4

Percentage of respondents who would be willing to give up social media for a year if it meant getting their ideal home in the future: 53

Percentage who would do twice as much homework every night: 53

Percentage who would take their mom or dad to the prom: 39

Source: Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC.

Idle Thought

"I never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun." -- Katharine Hepburn

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of all full-time workers in the United States who indicate they typically work more than 40 hours per week, according to Gallup's Work and Education Survey: 50

Percentage of workers who say they work at least 50 hours: 39

Average number of hours per week that full-time employees report working (almost a full workday longer than what a standard five-day, 9-to-5 schedule entails): 47

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of college students between the ages of 18 and 23 who do not expect to pay off their student loans before they are 50, according to the results of an annual survey by Vital Source Technologies Inc.: 44

Percentage of students who said a guaranteed full-time job is more important than no student loan debt after graduation: 73

Source: Vital Source Technologies Inc.

Percentage of men who eat healthy five or more days in a week if they are in a relationship, according to a consumer survey conducted by the American Heart Association and sponsored by Match.com: 57

Percentage of single men who eat healthy more than five days during the week: 45

Percentage of men and women in relationships who eat healthy five or more days a week: 55

Source: Match.com.

Percentage of consumers who agree with critics who claim we are in the "second golden age of television," according to the results of a survey by YuMe Inc. along with research firm Instant.ly: 67

Ranks of high-quality TV, variety of TV content and ability to binge-watch on the list of reasons consumers agree we're in a second golden age: 1, 2, 3

Source: United Sample.

Percentage of Americans age 16 and older who said that the closing of their local public library would have an impact on their community, according to findings from American Life Pew Research: 90

Percentage of Americans age 16 and older who agree that the materials and resources available at public libraries play an important role in giving everyone a chance to succeed: 95

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Year that William G. Cobb of the General Motors Corp. demonstrated the world's first solar-powered car -- though the vehicle didn't take the world by storm because it was a model just 15 inches long, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1955

Year that the first solar-powered car that could actually be driven was unveiled: 1962

Estimated number of individual solar cells that were placed on the roof to power the vehicle: 11,000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of parents who admit to feeling uneasy as a new school year starts -- the stressors varying from the day-to-day logistics of school to spending money to in-school socialization, according to a survey conducted by the National Center for Families Learning: 41.2

Percentage of respondents who admit it's tough transitioning the family from summer back into the school-year routine: 27.4

Source: National Center for Families Learning.

Percentage of Americans who typically pay for purchases under $5 with cash (22 percent use debit cards, and 11 percent use credit cards), according to a CreditCards.com report: 65

Source: Creditcards.com.

Percentage of nurses who think the job outlook for the nursing industry is positive, according to a survey from allnurses.com: 74

Percentage of respondents who would recommend that a person go into the nursing field: 72

Ranks of "ER," "Grey's Anatomy" and "NY Med" on the list of TV shows that nurses said most closely resemble "real life": 1, 2, 3

Source: Allnurses.com.

By 2018, percentage of all businesses that will hire IT security contractors to manage data-security threats, according to a study from Gartner: 50

Since 2013, percentage rise in spending on IT security (to $71.1 billion): 7.9

Source: TechInsurance.

Idle Thought

"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." -- Thomas Pynchon, writer

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of Americans who believe it is up to parents to educate future generations about money matters, yet only 47 percent of parents indicate they are confident in their own understanding of the topic: 92

Percentage of respondents who believe assigning chores for allowance is one of the best ways to teach children financial lessons: 68

Percentage who would say the same about enrolling their children in a financial class: 22

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

As of May 2013, percentage of American adults ages 18 and older who do not use the Internet or email, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center's Internet Project: 15

Percentage of adults who use the Internet, but not at home: 9

Percentage of non-Internet users who think the Internet is just not relevant to them, saying they are not interested, do not want to use it or have no need for it: 34

Source: PEW Internet and American Life Project.

Ranks of Stacy Keibler, Maria Sharapova and Karina Smirnoff on the list of female celebrities who respondents said had the best beach bodies, according to a Nationwide E-Score Survey: 1, 2, 3

Ranks of Channing Tatum, Chris Hemsworth and Shemar Moore on the list of the hottest male celebrity beach bodies: 1, 2, 3

Source: E-Score.

Percentage of Americans who strongly agree that today's schools should teach students critical thinking skills, according to a Gallup poll: 80

Percentage who say they should be taught how to set meaningful goals: 64

Percentage who say schools should know how to motivate students: 61

Source: Education at Gallup.

Percentage of marketing professionals who work 10 or more hours on an average day, according to the results of a study that looks at a day in the life of a marketer by AtTask: 25

Percentage of respondents who said interruptions were a major distraction to their workdays: 36

Percentage who said they spend three to four hours a day on email: 34

Source: AtTask.

Percentage of Americans who support legislation that would require policemen to wear cameras, according to a survey by YouGov: 72

Percentage of Americans who think that police brutality described as "the use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation," is an issue in the United States: 66

Source: YouGov.

Percentage of Americans who admit to watching or listening to the TV while they are intimate with their partners, according to a survey commissioned by LG Electronics USA: 22

Percentage of respondents who leave their TVs on for their pets when they step out: 26

Source: LG Electronics US, Inc.

Percentage of Americans who feel vulnerable to tax scams, according to a survey released by TaxAudit.com and conducted via Toluna QuickSurveys: 78

Percentage who believe tax scams are a real problem in the U.S.: 88

Source: TaxAudit.com.

Percentage of Americans who either work or spend a significant amount of time outside in warm weather during the summer months, according to a survey commissioned by Mars Chocolate North America: 30

Percentage of those who wish they worked indoors at times: 63

Source: Mars Chocolate North America.

Percentage of teens who believe that their driver's education program completely prepared them to drive, according to a survey commissioned by Michelin North America and the: 49

Percentage of their parents who think the same: 47

Source: Michelin.

Idle Thought

"By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower." -- Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel laureate (1861-1941)

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)