Reflecting Back One Year into the Pandemic: National Survey Uncovers 74% of Americans Regret Not Learning More About Their Relatives

LOS ANGELES, April 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Preserving family legacies and stories of loved ones has become increasingly important over the past year, during a time that has provided many with the opportunity to reflect on what matters the most to them. Following a year filled with so much uncertainty, StoryTerrace commissioned a new survey that reveals how Americans feel about holding onto cherished memories from family and friends. 

StoryTerrace is the leading global memoir-writing service that pairs people with a professional ghostwriter to turn life stories into a treasured keepsake. According to StoryTerrace's CEO and Founder Rutger Bruining, "Over the past year, StoryTerrace has seen a significant increase in people looking to write memoirs as many were separated from loved ones due to the pandemic. We expect this trend to continue to grow as more people realize the importance of preserving their family history for generations to come."

Key findings from the survey include:

• The desire to capture stories from loved ones:
• Nearly three in four (74%) Americans regretted not learning more about their relatives that are no longer here.
• 73% have lost a family member whose story they wished had been written down.
• 67% are afraid of forgetting stories they have been told by family members or close friends.
• 63% said the circumstances of 2020 have increased their interest to learn more about their family member's history.
  
• The greatest stories hit close to home:
• 72% know someone whose personal story would make an interesting book. 62% have dreamt about writing their own memoir someday.
• The top family members that respondents would like to know more about were their grandfathers (56%), grandmothers (53%) and fathers (45%).
• The top three elements needed for a great memoir or personal story were overcoming personal challenges or adversity (59%), a life of adventure (57%) and humor (39%).
  
• Immigration Stories Are of Top Interest:
• 91% of children of first-generation immigrants know someone whose personal story would make an interesting book
• Over 50% of children of first-generation immigrants "strongly agreed" that they regret not learning more about their relatives that are no longer here.
• Nearly half (49%) said a loved one's story they'd like to learn more about was an immigration story.
• Children of first-generation immigrants (56%) also chose their grandfathers as the people they would most like to know more about.
• 64% of military members said the loved ones' story they're interested in learning more about is an immigrant story.  
  
• Millennial Views on Memoirs:
• 33% of millennial respondents "strongly agreed" that they are afraid of forgetting stories they have been told by family members or close friends.
• 62% of millennials feel disconnected from their family's past
• Nearly three in ten (29%) of respondents ages 25-40 "strongly agree" that they feel disconnected from their family's past.
• Over half of millennials (53%) wished they could turn a grandparent's life into a book.
  
•  Military Members:
• 89% percent of military respondents know someone whose life would make an interesting book.
• People in the military said their mothers (63%) were the people they looked forward to hearing stories from as a child.
• The people military members were most likely to wish they could turn their lives into a book were themselves (53%)
• Two in five (43%) of military members "strongly agreed" they are afraid of forgetting stories they have been told by family members or close friends.

The survey was funded by StoryTerrace and conducted by OnePoll, members of ESOMAR and employ members of the MRS. Conducted in February 2021, the survey was taken from a demographically representative sample of 1,005 Americans ages 18 and up.

SOURCE StoryTerrace

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