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Subscribe to RSSFew things feel better than stepping out with a fat paycheck in your pocket. But a new study in the Journal of Public Economics proves that it just might be anything but good. In fact, it can be downright deadly.
University of Notre Dame economist William Evans studied four major demographic groups—seniors on Social Security, military personnel, families receiving tax rebate checks and recipients of Alaska’s Permanent Fund dividends—and found that mortality rates significantly increased the week after checks showed up in their mailboxes. The three causes of death with the largest increases were substance abuse, external causes (all kinds of accidents) and heart attacks.
“After getting paid, people are just more active -- they go out to dinner, head to the store, drive more, go to bars, etc.,” said Evans. “Some of this behavior is inherently risky, like drinking too much or driving drunk. Some of the activity will naturally increase risk -- if you drive more, the risk of being in a car accident has increased.”
“Some of the links are not so obvious,” he continued. “For example, more activity may spur on a heart attack. And some of it is increased risk taking, as with substance abuse.”
So, do you need to be worried when payday rolls around? According to Evans, probably.
“What impressed us the most was the fact that the effect was so broad-based -- we found increases in mortality after payday for senior citizens, young people and tax payers,” he said. However, younger people, in particular, tend to have larger increases in payday mortality, as evidenced by the study’s results for the military group. You may not need to be worried, but you might want to be more careful.
Evans’ final suggestion for ensuring that payday doesn’t lead to mayday? “Stay off the roads."
Ever done something totally misguided on payday? Tell us about it.
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Going on a bender and getting into a really good bar fight was my Uncle's way to go. Yay!
Good anesthetics for going with no pain.
Hey, if you're gonna go, go out in a blaze of glory.
They need to study how deadly it is to NOT receive a paycheck.
Another worthless study. Who funded this one? Hw much did it cost? Any fool can tell ya that on Fridays the bars are packed because everyone has a fat check in their pocket.
Perhaps this study hints that we should just do away with pay altogether. After all, for the vast majority of Americans, what ever doesn't go to cable, phones, insurance car payments and rent just goes to uncle Sam who, being flush with cash can fund studies such as these.
My take away from this is we will have a huge decrease in mortality then after all those who are currently on unemployment exhaust their benefits. No more $$ = decrease in risky behaviour = mortality decrease. Good grief. Is there anything really new in this "study.
"Live longer - don't get paid!"
Well, government has got us brainwashed into thinking we're making a good living at $7.25 an hour so why not take it to it's next logical step and tell people having no money will make you live longer! Let's see... it only took us 20 years to go from good paying jobs to what we have now so we should be money free in what another 10 years? And immortality in say...15?
Working people who recieve a paycheck is NOT the same as entitlement folk who do nothing and get money from the Gubmint. I'm sure the welfare/disability/money for nothing crowd live it up and do stupid things when they have money to waste. Watch the lines on the first of the month, the people who can least afford it will be dumping their un-earned dollors on lottery tickets. Scary thing our Gubmint created. A birth to death supply chain ,just to assure their re-election votes............
Oh good lord....whaaa entitlements! Whaaa welfare!!!
Just say 'I HATE MY FELLOW AMERICANS, AND AM A GREEDY, SELFISH D1c$'
I mean we've figured that out anyway.
He's greedy and selfish because he doesn't want the money he earned to be taken by force by the government and given to people who are perpetually on the government dole?
Most people will agree that there should be a safety net for the unemployed, and the disabled should get the help they need, but are we supposed to be happy that the government is taking the money we could use for our families and watch bureaucrats and politicians continually hand it over to those who don't want to support themselves?
Who is really greedy in this scenario? Not the wage earner.
hey mike .how about the money we used to have that has been taken and given to the communist chines in the form of jobs americans used to have? what about the money taken from us by foriegn investors that helped raid the country during the defacto and actuall deregulation that has been eating away at americans since the 80's?none of that registers with you but the greed of those that perpertrated these "crimes" gest your defense and sympathy!?!?!???? wow! talk about enimies domestic and a broken morall compass!
And how many really are perpetually on the goverment dole? Do you mean foster parents like Bachmann, who foster 20+ kids, and get paid by the government to do so? Or do you mean farmers who take gub'mint subsidies? (also Bachmann)
Or the oil companies who take massive subsidies, and earn record profits?
I'm confused....
Who really gives a fuque nowadays? All you sheep want is your shiny gadgets. You people handed over your freedom a long time ago. So quit bitchin' and keep watching Idol.
Gemini ,
you're just an @!$%#.
nothing will change that.
Gemini ,
you're just an @!$%#.
nothing will change that.
Gemini ,
you're just an @!$%#.
nothing will change that.
What money to waste? Man, you think people on welfare have EXTRA money? How far do you think $300 a week goes? Have you ever considered they abuse drugs because life when one is poor is barely a life at all in this country? Sure, the 3rd world has it worse, but we don't live in the 3rd world we live in the USA, and so do they. Stop worrying about your imaginary tax windfall and try helping turn this crooked-rich-upper-middle-class favoring society around.
We are quickly becoming Rome in its last days: isolated wealthy, well-to-do without a clue of the real world. That goes for all the major "journalist" on the major channels too. Its no wonder they talk about unemployment so lightly: they don't know anyone who isn't making a quarter million plus much less anyone unemployed.
Man I really wish you could lose EVERYTHING you have: and have to live off of "entitlements." You'd be on drugs too I'm sure. Either way you'd be out of luck because you can't get a job nowadays if your credit is bad(as if every employer needs to run a credit check: but they do). More importantly you'd find out that its far from a picnic...
Gemini John, You forgot cigarettes and beer along with the lottery tickets!
Just checked in to read all the posts from the stupes on the right and I was disappointed.
And all you got to read was brain-dead drivel from the left. Poor baby.
In other news, the sun will go down in the evening.
This study was another waste of money. Duh, people get paid and many have 2 days off soon after. Do you think many will spend their time home reading a book or knitting?? Duh, they will celebrate! Which means somewhat risky behavior. Seriously, all the money wasted on this study should have been sent to me instead so I could get drunk this weekend.
Seems like this damned website has become nothing more than a sewage dump for a @!$%#load of blogs of excremental nature rather than news-worthy journalism-quality article. Looks like every other day there is some bogus blog of some nonsensical @!$%# being spewed to the website just to attract headline and make you click. I am done with this crap, you should too if you have at least half a brain.
Even my dog was ashamed to view this trash.
Whoa!!! Your dog can read?
My dog has more sense than most people.
He is smarter than you, he lives off your welfare, lazy no good liberal dog is what you have.
reading all the stupid, poorly researched gibberish on the MSN and MSNBC sites is bad for your mortality.
But what about the people who get paid and *gasp* use the money to buy food, clothing and shelter for their families? Seems pretty risky to me.
Translation - the homeless and unemployed will eventually rule the world...
Great now they are trying to convince us we should be happy getting less because its better for our health
So, the alternative to getting a paycheck is?
cookykamp> The alternative to getting a paycheck is reduced mortality risk for a brief period followed by homelessness and starvation.
This is the backdoor to communism. Since we can't be trusted to spend our own paychecks, we should just give them to the government. The government will take care of us and protect us from ourselves. Take your Soma and I'll see you at the rally tomorrow, aye comrade?
Rick...that was kind of my line of thinking!
The alternative to getting a paycheck is to work for yourself, or even better, ourselves. There are great options where we aren't slaves to government and corporations, everybody is equal, science does our work for us, pollution is done away with, etc...
But it all involves doing away with the monetary system. Money is an illusion; a debt that can never be repaid. It's destroying everything. I still have hope, but it seems most of the masses are still unaware that there are better ways. We are caught up in a system devised and ruled by the elite. A system that CANNOT succeed in the long term. But if you have the power, no need to care. And the rest of you are happy to live in your bubbles of day to day survival because you can't see the truth. Why do you put so much faith in a system that breeds contempt, inequality, selfishness and unbridled consumption?
Educate yourself and it can all change. The Zeitgeist movement makes sense. The Venus Project makes sense. As a society, it's time we grow up and leave our ignorance and selfishness behind. Peace :)
What about those of us that just have no hope for the future? Or rather, no hope that any real progress towards a society for human and technological advancement will be made before debt, wars, and crazed tyrants nearly eradicate the species as a whole anyway?
Just because something is a good idea, does not mean it will actually happen. People are far too greedy, particularly in the first world, to actually work towards a common goal if it means a few small sacrifices now.
Of course a "government controls everything" society is a bad idea, because - as I stated - people are far too greedy to just do the right thing. It is this very reason why Marxist communism will never, ever work - and the very reason why Marx himself said his idea will never work. Putting a small group or an individual in power, with that MUCH power, will always result in oppression and tragedy.
Putting too much faith in technology and automation will also yield negative results. People wouldn't think nearly as much for themselves, allowing the technology to take over for them. It's already happening with GPS systems right now. Go ahead, ask somebody for directions. Or where they are. Or what direction they're heading on an interstate highway. More than likely, they will not be able to tell you without the assistance of a GPS device or smartphone app. Technology is a tool to assist people, not a be-all, end-all solution to everything. As much as I want technological advancement to be a mainstay of the first world, and a major part of our advancement as a species, it is simply unrealistic to expect technology to solve everything, and even moreso unrealistic to expect any indication of a shift towards such a society in today's world.
The alternative to a paycheck is starvation, a motive to steal to survive and the survival instinct kicks in! People will do whatever they must to live (should say survive in this world...cut out the entitlements and watch this world sink into Chaos)...
I agree, I used to come here for news now I'm just amazed every day with ever more useless posts, usually something along the lines of shaving link to depression.... labled body odd. Or a even more annoying review of the ipad.
MSNBS is so fn lame.
Ok Luke, who leaked the Shaving Linked to Depression article?? That was NOT supposed to get out until next week.
Agree!!
Is'nt better to count as any other day. Keeping a daily spending budget, I mean look at what left, after you get Drunk, a hangover and most cash gone. Then you can't remember where you spent the money. Going on a paycheck spending spree is crasy. I rather have the money in the Bank, than to waste foolishy getting stone or Drunk, or buying things I don't use or need.
Saturday night
Just got paid
I'll make my exit to the city
I'm on a high speed getaway
Looking for something
I'm looking under the lights
I'm on a buzz
I'm gonna f*ck or fight
~The D4 "Exit To The City"
Another study found that bed-ridden patients in hospitals are less likely to die in auto accidents than ambulatory patients on the day they are released from the hospital. Note: This was a shovel-ready stimulus grant provided by the Obama administration.
I'd argue that Bush probably hired those cronies. Get off Obama's back. He inherited disaster and is making the best of it. You're not helping by feuding year after year.
Who comes up with this crap?
Probably the same group of idiots that say 4th of July parades turn kids into Republicans.
More activity may spur on a heart attack???? I have been led to believe activity prevents heart attacks!
Do you think if I took a dump on the editors desk theyd publish that too?
Yeah, they can't tell the difference between your crap and the crap that they do print! LOL!!! They don't know chit from Shinola!
Not getting paid (ei: being a slave) I'm sure isn't good for you either.
You people are overreacting hardcore about this article. All it's saying is that your overall chance of dying from something occurs after payday. Which makes complete sense, as people tend to be out travelling and drinking more when they have money.
The article is not talking about after a payday, but after a significant financial windfall and the following sudden change in lifestyle.
This is a garbage article. If I work for you...PAY ME. If you work for me...I'LL PAY YOU. What you do with your money is up to you. Besides, what's the point of living and getting paid if you don't go out to eat, drive fast cars, enjoy the tobacco from time to time, booze it up with your friends occasionally, and live life the way you want.
Oh, no. That would be having fun. That violates liberal ideology. Living how you want implies freedom...libs can't have none of that.
A new excuse for my boss to not pay me my bonus. "If I give you too big a check, you might die."
I worked a questionable telemarketing firm til I quit a few months later. This headline is true as it reads, considering I almost passed out in line waiting for them to give me my inconsistent check, while having a severe summer cold.