The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Confession time: I don't do surveys. I have never agreed to answer questions for a phone survey, never partici- pated in an internet or news media survey, and never spent time on a product survey. I never fill out res- taurant or motel surveys.

Come to think of it, I don't remember ever getting a call from Gallup or Barna or any big media pollsters. They only call a few thou- sand people at a time (with an error margin of plus or minus three percent, right?), so the odds would be low anyway. But if I were to get a call from one of them on some important matter ("How do you think Con- gress is doing?"), I probably wouldn't respond to them, either.

Why is this? Why don't I participate in surveys? I don't really know, which I guess is why I'm asking the question. But I doubt that I'm alone. My guess is that relatively few people partic- ipate in surveys. But I might be wrong (plus or minus three percentage points).

Maybe I'll do a survey of my own, where the only question will be, "Do you participate in surveys?" But that would be point- less, because everyone who responded to my request for a survey would answer, "Yes." Is that what they call a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Why does anyone par- ticipate in a survey? Is there a sense of moral obligation? Have some people been taught that part of being a contributing member of society is responding to surveys? Does it make some people feel useful? I was standing around in a mall, years ago. (Remember them? Malls? They used to be popular.) This college student walked up to me with a clipboard in her hands. (Remember when they were actual physical objects you held in your hands instead of digital utilities in a software program?) She asked if I would be will- ing to answer a few ques- tions for a survey she was conducting for a sociology class assignment, it would only take a moment.

This is always what they say, including the smart phone app makers who are seeking user feedback: this will only take a moment. This qualifier is intended to increase the likelihood that you will agree to be surveyed.

I said no. It wasn't per- sonal. It's not like I think surveys are evil attempts to invade our minds or any- thing. I said no because I don't do surveys. I also don't eat eggplant or watch sports on TV. I don't do a lot of things. Surveys are one of them. My mother tried to get me to eat liver when I was a boy. It was traumatizing. But that's different.

So is this a bad thing? That I don't do surveys? I don't think so, but maybe someone should design a survey about it. ("Do you believe surveys are an important part of life in a free society? Please answer YES; NO; or ONLY IF IT'S ABOUT HOW CON- GRESS IS DOING.")

Maybe I'd be surprised at the results-even with the margin of error.

[Editor's note: Mike Fer- rians is pastor of the First Christian Church of Waits- burg.]