Screens and Teens: How Social Media Affects Learning

As the world becomes more connected through social media, teenagers are more distracted than ever. They have instant access to the thoughts and feelings of friends and strangers and often this is more intriguing than any other subject at hand. So how do we as parents, educators and tutors answer the challenges technology presents? How do we turn our teens away from the screens so they can focus on their studies?

Social media use is distracting students

According to the Pew Research Center, 81% of teens use social media of some sort. It is ubiquitous, and with smartphones it is available around the clock. This causes distractions. Middle Tennessee State University conducted a study in which students were asked to watch a video on the computer. For some students in the study, social media tabs were available in the background behind the video. When students were tested on the contents of the video, students with access to social media did worse on the exam, as they had drifted or spent attention elsewhere.

This observation translates to students at home doing homework or studying. As more and more homework assignments involve computers, it is difficult for students to avoid social media distractions in the background and focus on the task at hand.

The key to successful learning is the environment

宝博体育 learning environments eliminate distraction, helping students focus on their studies. We can help kids find a safe, collaborative environment that allows them to reach their full potential. Some of the strategies we use in our teaching centers can help students at home.

1. Have a routine

When it is study time, study. It’s that simple. A good routine allows students to know when they need to focus on work and when they can interact with friends. Kids should study at the same time, every day, so that both their bodies and their brains get in the habit of sitting down and focusing at that time.

2. Shut off the internet

If a student is studying on a laptop and doesn’t truly need the Internet for research, turn off the Wi-Fi functionality. If he or she is using a desktop computer, unplug the Internet cable. Kids will be surprised to see what all a computer can do without the Internet.

3. Put away the smartphone

When studying, put the smartphones in another room far away from the workspace. This is one way to avoid the buzzes and dings of message updates that might steal a student’s attention.

Take the first step today

Every child learns differently. Eliminating social media from the equation is one way to get a child’s undivided attention, but be sure to try a number of different techniques to get your child to focus. Some parents set a social media budget, or allotted time a child can draw from, so everyone knows when device time is appropriate. Others stick to a very stringent routine. There is no single right answer. Try multiple ways to get your child to focus on the task at hand and let us know what worked for you in the comments.

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Why the PSAT Matters to You

It’s just the PSAT, right? As in “pre-SAT”? As in “just practice”?

Wrong.

The PSAT has always been more than “just a practice” test because it also acts as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT), meaning that eligible students who take the PSAT are automatically entered to compete for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship. This alone has long made the PSAT important for a large number of students.

But this year the PSAT is even more important, and not just for top scoring students who hope to compete for scholarships. This year marks the debut of the fully redesigned PSAT, the first real glimpse of what students can expect from the new SAT, which will premiere this spring.

Competing for the National Merit Scholarship

The National Merit Scholarship is a highly prestigious scholarship awarded to just 1% of PSAT test-takers. Worried that you won’t fall into that tiny 1%? Compete anyway! The scholarship is so prestigious that making it to any point in the competition can help with college admissions.

Here’s how the competition works:

  • 5 million: The number of eligible students who take the PSAT each year
  • 50,000: The number of students designated as “High Scorers”
  • 34,000: The number of students designated as “Commended Students”
  • 16,000: The number of students who become “Semifinalists”
  • 15,000: The number of students who become “Finalists”
  • 7,400: The number of National Merit Scholarship recipients

Even making it to “High Scorer” status has perks since you’ll be able to list that accomplishment on your college applications. So even if you don’t ultimately become a scholarship recipient, it’s worth competing.

Get a Sneak Peek of the New SAT

The redesigned SAT premieres this spring, and this is your first (and possibly last) chance to get a sneak peek straight from the College Board. The College Board has not yet released a full-length sample of the redesigned SAT, choosing to limit releases to sample questions rather than full tests. In the past, the PSAT has always been very closely aligned to the SAT. While it’s highly likely that the new SAT will be more difficult than the PSAT (it will, for example, include some high-level math topics that won’t appear on the PSAT), it’s reasonable to expect that the redesigned PSAT will be similar to the redesigned SAT.

Realistic Practice Is Vital

One of the BEST ways to practice for any standardized test is to take practice tests, but the best way to take practice tests is under real-life testing conditions. The PSAT will offer you a chance to get standardized test practice under real-life conditions, complete with coughing students, a watchful proctor, and a loudly ticking clock. By getting used to testing conditions, you set yourself up for success on future tests, including both the SAT and the ACT.

Pinpoint Weak Areas

There is a lot of content overlap between the redesigned PSAT and the redesigned SAT, which means that the PSAT can help you to pinpoint areas in which you might need a bit of a boost. For example, perhaps you’re not too happy with your PSAT math score and your score report shows that you score took a hit because you missed a lot of algebra questions. Since we know that similar algebra questions will appear on the redesigned SAT, this score report gives you plenty of warning that you should practice algebra before you take the SAT.

Score Prediction

In the past, PSAT scores were designed to provide a clear comparison between the PSAT and the SAT: The PSAT was scored out of 240, and the SAT was scored out of 2400, allowing a pretty straightforward comparison. The new PSAT, however, is scored out of 1520; the redesigned SAT is scored out of 1600. This doesn’t allow for such simple linear score comparisons.

So should you use the PSAT to predict SAT scores? Yes and no.

Rather than trying to figure out the SAT equivalent of your PSAT scores, look at your percentile ranking. This number shows where you rank in comparison to all of the other 1.5 million test-takers in the country. Since both the PSAT and the SAT provide scaled scores, your final SAT score is not merely a reflection of how many questions you got wrong or right, but of how well you performed compared to all other test-takers. So if you’re scoring in the 95th percentile on the PSAT, it’s a good bet that you’ll earn a pretty high score on the SAT – a score equal to or higher than 95 percent of the people who took the test that day.

Whether you’re taking the PSAT just for practice or to compete for scholarships, we wish you the best of luck this month!

Click here to learn more about the new PSAT and take a practice test with 宝博体育!

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Using Technology to Boost Study Skills

According to a recent national study, students between the ages of 8 and 18 now spend more than twice as much time with high-tech screens than they do in the classroom. Although much of this time is spent on thoroughly non-academic pursuits — socializing, streaming media, playing games — there’s no reason why screen time can’t be put to good use.

Here are some tips for integrating technology into your study routine:

Online research. Of course the most obvious academic use for technology is using the internet for research. Even for projects that require that you use at least a few books as source material, the internet can be an invaluable jumping off point for any research project. Whenever you use the internet for academic research, remember these rules:

    WIKIPEDIA IS NOT A VALID SOURCE. Wikipedia is a great quick reference to settle a dispute among friends. But when it comes to academic research, Wikipedia should never appear on your works cited. Wikipedia is crowd-sourced, and the crowd isn’t known for its accuracy. Instead, use Wikipedia as a place to get an overall concept of your research topic. Then look at the cited sources at the bottom of the article. Many of these sources may prove useful to your work.

    NEVER PLAGIARIZE. If you borrow another author’s wording or ideas, be sure to properly give credit. When using someone’s exact wording, use quotations, give credit to the author, and include the source in your works cited. When borrowing an idea, paraphrase the concept and give credit for the idea to the original author.

    LOOK FOR STRONG SOURCES. Remember that some sources are better than others. Someone’s Blogger page is going to be less reliable than an article from a major national newspaper, information published by a university, or an informative governmental site. The internet may be a haven of equality when it comes to access, but with that equality comes a lot of less than reliable information; it’s up to you to properly evaluate your source material.

Type your notes. In college (and, depending on policies, in some high schools), a lot of students tend to bring laptops to class to take notes. There are pros and cons to typing your notes in class. On the one hand, typed notes ensure legibility and allow for an excellent organizational system. On the other hand, research shows that students remember what they’ve written better than they remember what they’ve typed. If the goal of taking notes is to help you remember information from class, your best bet is to write your notes out long-hand — even if you type faster than you write. But to boost the impact of your notes, take things one step further: Write your notes in class, and then type them later. The very act of retyping your notes will help you to recall the information later on, and you can still take advantage of the benefits of technological organization.

There’s an app for that. Beyond the applications of a good, old-fashioned computer, you can take advantage of all that your tablet or smart phone has to offer. Here are some of our picks for the best apps for students:

    Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock: Available on both iOS and Android. Though the app seems to work better for some than for others, it’s worth a try. The app monitors your sleep cycles to wake you at your lightest sleep phase, making waking up early (at least slightly) easier.

    Google Drive: Available for Android or iOs. If you use Gmail, you’re likely already familiar with Drive. Drive will allow you to read documents on your device and — perhaps more importantly — to upload and share documents across devices.

    Dropbox: Available for Android and iOs. Like Drive, Dropbox allows you to upload documents to store them on the cloud, but Dropbox avoids some of the formatting glitches that can be common to documents on Google Drive. By saving your files to Dropbox, you can ensure that you can access the file from any computer, which eliminates the “Oh no, I forgot my research paper at home, and it’s due today!” moments.

    gFlash: A free flashcard app available for both Android and iOS. Integrates easily with Google Drive to allow you to create and upload your own flashcards, or you can choose to download existing flashcards from their catalog.

    StudyBlue: Available for both Android and iOS. A crowd sourced study app that includes flashcards, notes, study guides, and quizzes in a wide variety of subject areas.

    Learnist: Available for both Android and iOS. Another crowd sourced resource that features Learnboards, curated boards on a variety of topics. This app provides a great starting point for any research project.

    Sparknotes: Available for both Android and iOS. Almost every student is familiar with Sparknotes, a massive collection of study guides. While we don’t condone relying on Sparknotes as a substitute for actually doing your assigned reading, Sparknotes’s resources can be valuable when used right.

    myHomework: Available for both Android and iOS. Replace your traditional paper planner with an app that allows you to track your homework assignments from any of your devices.

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Little Known Facts about Our National Anthem

It’s time to celebrate the 239th birthday of our nation. As we all know, on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was created by our founding fathers. While there are many things we honor at this time of year, we wanted to share some little known facts about our national anthem. “The Star-Spangled Banner” is an iconic embodiment of American unity, courage and tenacity in the face of opposition. Ironically, the tune was derived from a British drinking song, below are a few more interesting, if not obscure, facts about our anthem.

Francis Scott Key, writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner”, was a successful attorney. He owned his own practice and was regarded as one of the best in Maryland. He was later appointed as District Attorney of the District of Columbia (D.C.) by President Andrew Jackson.

The song was written based on what Key saw take place on September 13, 1814 at Ft. McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore. The Fort was under attack by British forces for an entire 25 hours, but did not surrender.

Key was in viewing distance of the battle on a British warship because he was appealing for the release of a friend Dr. William Beanes who was held captive.

Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” to fit the rhythm of the British drinking song “To Anacreon in Heaven”.

The original version which Key wrote has four verses and what we are familiar with is only the first of the four. See below for the full lyrics.

Key named the song “The Defence of Ft. McHenry” and it was published accordingly in newspapers across the nation. The name “The Star-Spangled Banner” was not coined until about two months later when a music store started selling the sheet music under that title.

For more than 100 years, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was not officially our national anthem. The idea of declaring it as our official anthem was proposed by President Wilson in 1916, and in 1931, President Hoover signed a congressional act declaring it as such.

It is believed that “The Star-Spangled Banner” was first performed at a sporting event during the 1918 Baseball World Series. Initially the band played the anthem during the game but later in the series they begun to perform at the start of the game.

Whitney Houston’s recording of “The Star-Spangled Banner”, which she performed at Super Bowl XXV, peaked at #20 in Billboard’s weekly Hot 100 in 1991, and then peaked at #6 after its second release in 2001, following the attacks on September 11th.

The National Anthem is played before all MLS, NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL games, which means that in these sports alone, the National Anthem is performed over 5,000 times per year!

All Verses to “The Star-Spangled Banner” Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? “On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream: ‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave! And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion, A home and a country should leave us no more! Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave! Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war’s desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.” And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”

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Six Ways to Boost College Applications Over Summer

Summer break is just around the corner — do you have plans yet?

Some students look forward to months of fun in the sun, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with a little relaxation. But for students who want to improve their chances of getting into a dream college, summer is also a chance to bolster resumes and college applications.

Although a lot of selective summer programs require months of advanced planning, it isn’t too late to find ways to use summer break wisely.

Summer School

No one wants to spend summer in a classroom, but one great way to show colleges that you’re committed to education is to enroll in summer classes. Some high schools will allow you to take required classes over the summer to get a head start on the school year, but you should also consider taking classes at a local community college. Many small, local colleges will allow you to take intro courses before you graduate from high school. This can be an excellent chance to get a feel for what college classes are like while earning college credits.

Volunteering

You don’t have to go build houses in a developing nation to perform worthwhile service. Starting — and sticking with! — a volunteer project close to home is just as valuable. Colleges seek students who are devoted members of their communities, so community service (especially when it isn’t a school requirement) can certainly improve your college applications. Better yet, consider organizing a new volunteer project and recruiting some friends — this not only shows a dedication to community service, but also demonstrates leadership and initiative.

Summer Jobs

A lot of students worry that summer jobs aren’t valued by colleges, but that’s not really true. Holding a summer job shows maturity and responsibility, traits that colleges certainly look for in an applicant.

Internships

Highly selective internships can be almost impossible to get as a high school student, but there are still plenty of opportunities out there. Want to become a doctor? Contact local doctor’s offices to find out if you might be able to shadow a doctor during the summer. Want to become a lawyer? Contact local law offices and offer yourself as a free intern. Sure, you’ll probably spend a lot of time fetching coffee, but you’ll still gain valuable insight into your potential career.

Test Prep

Planning on taking the SAT, PSAT, or ACT? Take advantage of the time out of school to get a jump start on test prep. You can get some prep books and study on your own, or you might consider enrolling in a summer program. For example, 宝博体育 Education offers intensive SAT prep during the summer. AP classes are another option. If you’re taking AP classes next year, you can use the summer to get ahead on the material. If you’re thinking about taking an AP exam without enrolling in the actual class, summer is a great time to start self-studying for the exam.

Application Essays

If you’re a rising senior, this summer is your best chance to start those college application essays. A really great application essay can take months to plan, write, revise, and perfect — and if you need to write more than one application essay, your time is even more precious. Don’t miss the chance to focus on your essays without the added stress of school.

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Memorial Day Isn’t Just a Long Weekend

Memorial Day weekend marks the start of summer. Each year, tens of thousands of people head for the beaches and theme parks to mark the beginning of a season of fun. But Memorial Day is about much more than a fun holiday weekend.

Memorial Day honors those who died while serving in the armed forces. Today, the holiday commemorates all fallen veterans, but it originated as a means of honoring those who died during the Civil War.

The holiday has its roots in the days during and after the Civil War when it was known as Decoration Day. It can be attributed primarily to women. In 1862, women in Savannah, Georgia decorated the graves of Confederate soldiers. Later, in 1864, women in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, decorated the graves of the fallen soldiers buried in the local cemetery; in fact, Boalsburg claims to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. By the end of the Civil War, women had formalized the practice of decorating the graves of fallen soldiers.

The first widely publicized observance of Decoration Day was held in Charleston, South Carolina on May 1, 1865. About 257 Union prisoners of war had died there, and they were buried in unmarked graves. After the war, black residents of Charleston, along with a group of teachers and missionaries, organized a May Day ceremony that was covered by the national press. They cleaned and landscaped the burial ground and built an enclosure to mark the area. Some 10,000 people gathered that day to commemorate the dead.

By the end of the 19th century, the holiday had become a common celebration, but it wasn’t until after World War I that the day was expanded to honor all fallen veterans. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday, though it is still known as Decoration Day in many communities. Decoration Day might be a more accurate name since countless volunteers still decorate the graves of fallen soldiers on that day.

So, although Memorial Day does mark the start of summer, take a moment to remember its more serious roots this year.

Happy Memorial Day from 宝博体育 Education!

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New Common App Essay Prompts Released: Get Your Pencils Ready!

With the release of the updated 2015-2016 Common App essay prompts, the new college application season has officially begun. Sure, it’s only April and you’ve still got junior year finals and your entire senior year before college – but the college application process waits for no student. For the absolute best chances for success, you should at least start thinking about writing your college application essays now.

First things first: What is the Common App and why should you care about its new essay prompts? The Common App is an online application used by more than 500 colleges and universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford. Odds are good that at least one of the colleges you plan to apply to uses the Common App, which means you’ll need to use it, too. The Common App provides you with five essay prompts to choose from; you’ll write a response of no more than 650 words, which will be submitted to the colleges of your choice.

Why should you be worried about an essay that you don’t actually need to finish for another six months or more?

Well, to begin with, you’ll probably need more than one college admission essay. In addition to the primary Common App essay, many schools require one or more supplementary essays. If you apply to three schools, and each of them requires a supplementary essay, you’re looking at 4 essays.

In addition, your college application essays will be among the most important essays you’ve written. A majority of colleges say the essay is an important factor in admission decisions. As a general rule, the more selective the college, the more important the essay is. At very selective schools, most applicants have similarly awesome grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, and recommendations. The tie-breaker often comes down to the essay. The essay is the only part of your application that is truly and completely unique to you because it is the only part of your application where you get to help the admission officer get to know who you are as a person.

If that seems like a lot of pressure to put on a measly 650-word essay, you’re right. And that’s why it should take you months to finish writing it.

Without further ado, here are the updated essay prompts for the 2015-2016 Common App (new language appears in italics) and our thoughts on the changes:

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

It’s worth noting that in the Common App’s annual member survey, 62% of member colleges said that they felt that this prompt resulted in the most effective essays. This doesn’t mean colleges want you to pick this prompt; this simply means that the essays written in response to this prompt tended to be what colleges were looking for. And since the essays written in response to this prompt are almost always personal stories, that means that colleges want to hear your personal stories.

It’s also important to note that the additional phrasing – identity, interest, or talent – helps to broaden this essay prompt. This prompt is the closest thing to the old favorite, “topic of your choice.” That said, the prompt isn’t a free-for-all. Your essay still has to clearly, coherently, and effectively respond to the prompt.

The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

The big change to this essay prompt is the addition of that first sentence. This highlights a common problem among essays in response to this prompt in the past: Students often focused their stories on a failure without adequately explaining how they learned from the experience. The addition of that first sentence should help to clarify that the focus of the essay should be on the lessons learned, not on the failure itself.

Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

This prompt hasn’t changed from years past. This prompt allows for some truly unique essays, but it can also result in essays that toe the line of touchy subjects. Try to avoid the temptation to focus your essay on beliefs surrounding issues like race or religion – you never know who your reader will be or what might offend him or her.

Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

This prompt is entirely new. It replaces the old prompt that used to ask about the “place where you are most content.” 76% of member colleges wanted to see that prompt replaced, so this is the solution. Of particular importance in this new prompt is the phrase, “no matter the scale.” The inclusion of this phrase should be taken as a signal to be personal in this essay. In other words, an insightful essay that focuses on an issue that you’ve personally encountered or been affected by might work better than an overview of your plans to end world hunger.

Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

This topic is often best for those students who come from challenging personal background that forced them to take on adult responsibilities at an early age.

Now that you know the prompts, it’s time to start thinking about which one you might respond to and which stories you might like to tell. You don’t need to put pencil to paper just yet, but you should be thinking about your essays so that you’ll be ready to start writing over the summer.

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President’s Day Fun Facts

February was a popular month among our past presidents – both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were born in February, and President’s Day falls on the third Monday of the month. But who exactly does President’s Day celebrate?

It all started in 1800. After George Washington’s death in 1799, his birthday (February 22) became a national day of remembrance. The 1832 centennial of his birth and the start of construction of the Washington Monument in 1848 kept Washington’s memory in the national spotlight, and the tradition endured. In 1879, Washington ’s Birthday officially became a federal holiday; at first, it was only celebrated in the District of Columbia, but in 1885 it was expanded to the whole country.

Washington was the first individual to be honored with a federal holiday; it would be another 98 years before Martin Luther King, Jr. became the second.

You’ll notice that President’s Day doesn’t fall on Washington’s February 22nd birthday. In 1971, Richard Nixon signed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This law shifted several federal holidays from predetermined dates to designated Mondays. The bill received support from both the private sector (who knew that more long weekends would increase retail sales) and labor unions (who liked the idea of more long weekends for workers). The Uniform Monday Holiday Act also included a provision to combine Abraham Lincoln’s February 12 birthday and George Washington’s February 22 birthday; in many states, both birthdays were celebrated.

Thus President’s Day was born. Though originally intended to celebrate Washington and Lincoln specifically, the holiday is now popularly seen as a day to celebrate all presidents, past and present. So, in honor of President’s Day, here are some presidential facts:

President’s Day never falls on the actual birthday of a president even though four presidents – George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, William Henry Harrison, and Ronald Reagan – were born in February.

President Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819 on land that once belonged to James Monroe.

The capitol of Liberia is Monrovia, named for James Monroe because of his passionate support for colonization of Liberia.

Ulysses S. Grant got a speeding ticket for riding his horse too fast down a Washington street.

Benjamin Harrison was the sitting president when electricity was first installed in the White House, but he remained so terrified of being electrocuted that he refused to touch the light switches.

William Taft is the only ex-president to serve as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer, which is why he had a giant peanut-shaped balloon in his inaugural parade.

Ronald Reagan did a gig as a stand-up comedian in Las Vegas for several weeks in 1954.

Bill Clinton is a two-time Grammy winner – he won for Best Spoken Word Album for Children in 2004 and for Best Spoken Word Album in 2005.

Barack Obama collects Spiderman and Conan the Barbarian comics.

James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were once arrested together for taking a carriage ride in Vermont on a Sunday which violated the laws of that state.

Andrew Jackson was a tailor; he refused to wear any suits he didn’t make for himself.

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Valentine’s Day – By the Numbers

It’s that time of year again, love is in the air, romance is blossoming, and wallets are opening everywhere. For better or worse, it wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without billions of dollars being spent on flowers, chocolates, and teddy bears, to name just a few. According to the National Retail Federation’s Consumer Spending Survey, Valentine’s Day will cost the average American $142.31 in 2015. Surprisingly, 1 in 3 people aren’t planning to give a gift at all; gentlemen, read the last stat, you may want to reconsider…

61.8 %

The percent of consumers who celebrate Valentine’s Day

$13.19 Billion

The average annual Valentine’s Day spending in the U.S.

180 Million

The number of Valentine’s Day cards exchanged annually. If you do the math, that’s at least one greeting card for every two people in America!

85%

The percent of Valentine’s Day cards bought by women

196 million

The average number of roses grown for Valentine’s Day

73%

The percent of flowers bought by men

$116.21

The amount the average consumer spends on Valentine’s Day annually

53 %

The percent of women who would end their relationship if they didn’t get something for Valentine’s Day.

Source: Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey

Source: National Retail Federation, Valentine’s Day: Consumer Survey Results

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