There are plenty of people who have phobias about certain things, whether it’s spiders, the outdoors, etc. But it turns out some phobias are more common in certain parts of the country than others, and a new report reveals the biggest fears of each state.
The new report is based on Google search metrics. The most common fear appears to be Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, a fear of long words, which is the most common fear in 18 states, including Alaska, California, Colorado, and Florida. Just behind that is Philophobia, a fear of falling in love and getting into relationships, the most common fear in 11 states, including Georgia, Hawaii, Arkansas, and more. Nine states, including Illinois, Kansas, and Mississippi, suffer from Somniphobia, the fear surrounding the thought of going to bed. The most common fear in the world is Agoraphobia, the fear of public spaces, crowds, etc., with over 61% of all countries reporting it as their most searched phobia.
Other interesting state phobias include nomophobia which is the fear of being without your phone. This phobia is common in New York, Oregon, Virginia, and Tennessee. Another one is Megalophobia which is the fear of large things. That phobia is common in Wyoming, Kentucky, and Delaware. One phobia that I’m learning about for the first time is Ephebiphobia which is the fear of teenagers and that is common in states like Arizona and Indiana.
Back in 2020, a lot of people developed new fears and phobias and the Psych News Daily reported that the top phobia of 2020 was “anthropophobia,” the fear of other people.
Here are the most common unusual phobias in the USA by state:
