THE THRILL IS GONE: 2025 GULF SOUTH INDEX, DOWNLOAD NOW
“Consumers are just really pissed off about the world”
– Claudi Sahm, former economist at the U.S. Federal Reserve
We’ve used this quote quite a bit in the last couple of years to describe the mood of the general public. Partly because it gets people’s attention. Primarily because it’s true.
We’ve tried to temper the public’s “pissed off” attitude with a vision that if we take a collective breath, we can find common ground as consumers and as citizens. Our idea of backyard optimism – the phenomenon that the closer you get to your own backyard, the better you feel about how your life is going – buoyed our spirits and showed itself repeatedly in the Gulf South Index numbers.
Taking license from B.B. King, that thrill is gone.
In year six of the Gulf South Index, we find that some things – trust in local news and an outlook that this year will be better than last year – remain true. However, the shrinking plurality of people who believe this, especially among younger generations, can’t be ignored. It just isn’t good.
How did we get here? Based on the numbers, the continued decreasing trust in the long-standing sources of information contributes to the public attitude. Combine that with steadily increasing distrust around information overall and even among our own family and friends.
The 2025 Gulf South Index does have rays of light. Common views around our most important values, for one. We can build messaging around that. As communicators, we must find strategies that break through the distrust and negative world outlooks. To do that, we must begin with the harsh facts.
“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end…with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality.” — Admiral James Stockdale
2025 Highlights:
Too Much Noise, Not Enough Trust: Gulf South Consumers Are Tuning Out—and Inward
We’ve all heard the phrase: “Trust but verify.” In 2025, the verifying part has gotten a lot harder. People in the Gulf South, like the rest of the country, are navigating a firehose of information—headlines, hashtags, talking heads, trending TikToks—all while trying to make smart, personal decisions for themselves and their families. And in that noise, trust is taking a hit.
This year, 56% of respondents told us they’re more concerned about the spread of false information on social media than they are about government censorship. But at the same time, trust in almost every source of information continues to fall—except for one: local TV news, which remains the most trusted source at 40% nationally and 35% in the Gulf South. That local connection matters. And it reinforces something we’ve seen again and again: people still want the truth, but they’re increasingly skeptical about where to find it.
Optimism Drops Again: The Gulf South Still Feels the Chill from 2024
The optimism we saw peeking through in early 2024 has dimmed. Nationally, just 3% of Americans rate the economy as “excellent.” And 70% say they’re dissatisfied with the direction of the country. Yet here’s the curveball: 79% still say they’re proud to be an American. In the Gulf South, that number rises to 83%. That tension—between worry about the future and pride in who we are—is where we live now.
Scroll, Click, Share, Believe: The Media You Use Shapes the Choices You Make
In 2025, your media diet shapes your mental state—and your behavior. Gen Z, for example, logs over two hours a day on social media, with 93% of them in the Gulf South hitting that threshold. They’re also the most pessimistic generation: only 39% of Gen Z Americans feel optimistic about the year ahead. That figure jumps to 58% in the Gulf South, but the contrast still highlights a larger trend: the more media people consume, especially via unfiltered digital channels, the less confident they feel.
What’s more, the emotional pull of misinformation is real. According to the American Psychological Association, misinformation that stirs outrage or fear is more likely to be believed and shared. That’s not just a media problem—it’s a human behavior problem. And it’s why communicators, leaders and brands need to think carefully about not just what they say, but how and where they say it.
Family. Hard Work. Money. Core Values Reassert Their Power
In times of uncertainty, people tend to retreat to what feels solid. And in the Gulf South, that foundation is clearer than ever. Family, hard work and money were all ranked as “very important” by more than 90% of respondents. Since February, we’ve seen a rise in nearly every core value—except one: having children, which declined from 57% to 48%. That tells us something about the pressure young families feel and the changing definition of success.
At the same time, patriotism, religion and community are on the rise as personal priorities. In a world of swirling uncertainty and limited trust, values act like anchors. They help people decide who to listen to, what to share and even what to buy. And for those of us trying to reach them—through news, campaigns or business strategies—understanding those values is key.
So, What Did We Learn?
People are tired, but not giving up. They’re skeptical, but not completely hopeless. The downward trend of losing faith can’t be ignored now. The headlines may be getting louder, but most folks are trying to tune into something quieter: their families, their communities and their own sense of what’s right.
As we head into the rest of 2025, the biggest opportunity for leaders, marketers and communicators is to listen more, simplify more and connect more deeply with the values that matter most. Because in a world where trust is scarce, clarity and common experience are currency.
And as always, the Gulf South reminds us: local voices still carry weight. Familiar stories still have power. And belief doesn’t come from volume—it comes from connection.
***
To learn more about consumer sentiment, our media usage and more, download our 2025 Gulf South Index report below.
“Consumers are just really pissed off about the world”
– Claudi Sahm, former economist at the U.S. Federal Reserve
We’ve used this quote quite a bit in the last couple of years to describe the mood of the general public. Partly because it gets people’s attention. Primarily because it’s true.
We’ve tried to temper the public’s “pissed off” attitude with a vision that if we take a collective breath, we can find common ground as consumers and as citizens. Our idea of backyard optimism – the phenomenon that the closer you get to your own backyard, the better you feel about how your life is going – buoyed our spirits and showed itself repeatedly in the Gulf South Index numbers.
Taking license from B.B. King, that thrill is gone.
In year six of the Gulf South Index, we find that some things – trust in local news and an outlook that this year will be better than last year – remain true. However, the shrinking plurality of people who believe this, especially among younger generations, can’t be ignored. It just isn’t good.
How did we get here? Based on the numbers, the continued decreasing trust in the long-standing sources of information contributes to the public attitude. Combine that with steadily increasing distrust around information overall and even among our own family and friends.
The 2025 Gulf South Index does have rays of light. Common views around our most important values, for one. We can build messaging around that. As communicators, we must find strategies that break through the distrust and negative world outlooks. To do that, we must begin with the harsh facts.
“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end…with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality.” — Admiral James Stockdale
2025 Highlights:
We’ve all heard the phrase: “Trust but verify.” In 2025, the verifying part has gotten a lot harder. People in the Gulf South, like the rest of the country, are navigating a firehose of information—headlines, hashtags, talking heads, trending TikToks—all while trying to make smart, personal decisions for themselves and their families. And in that noise, trust is taking a hit.
This year, 56% of respondents told us they’re more concerned about the spread of false information on social media than they are about government censorship. But at the same time, trust in almost every source of information continues to fall—except for one: local TV news, which remains the most trusted source at 40% nationally and 35% in the Gulf South. That local connection matters. And it reinforces something we’ve seen again and again: people still want the truth, but they’re increasingly skeptical about where to find it.
The optimism we saw peeking through in early 2024 has dimmed. Nationally, just 3% of Americans rate the economy as “excellent.” And 70% say they’re dissatisfied with the direction of the country. Yet here’s the curveball: 79% still say they’re proud to be an American. In the Gulf South, that number rises to 83%. That tension—between worry about the future and pride in who we are—is where we live now.
In 2025, your media diet shapes your mental state—and your behavior. Gen Z, for example, logs over two hours a day on social media, with 93% of them in the Gulf South hitting that threshold. They’re also the most pessimistic generation: only 39% of Gen Z Americans feel optimistic about the year ahead. That figure jumps to 58% in the Gulf South, but the contrast still highlights a larger trend: the more media people consume, especially via unfiltered digital channels, the less confident they feel.
What’s more, the emotional pull of misinformation is real. According to the American Psychological Association, misinformation that stirs outrage or fear is more likely to be believed and shared. That’s not just a media problem—it’s a human behavior problem. And it’s why communicators, leaders and brands need to think carefully about not just what they say, but how and where they say it.
In times of uncertainty, people tend to retreat to what feels solid. And in the Gulf South, that foundation is clearer than ever. Family, hard work and money were all ranked as “very important” by more than 90% of respondents. Since February, we’ve seen a rise in nearly every core value—except one: having children, which declined from 57% to 48%. That tells us something about the pressure young families feel and the changing definition of success.
At the same time, patriotism, religion and community are on the rise as personal priorities. In a world of swirling uncertainty and limited trust, values act like anchors. They help people decide who to listen to, what to share and even what to buy. And for those of us trying to reach them—through news, campaigns or business strategies—understanding those values is key.
So, What Did We Learn?
***
To learn more about consumer sentiment, our media usage and more, download our 2025 Gulf South Index report below.