The Real Feel, the first real-time human sentiment platform, has released insights from its initial weeks of pre-election sentiment tracking, revealing the public’s steady state of mind as the nation approaches Election Day.
The Real Feel’s sentiment technology captures how Americans feel each week through public polling, AI, and data analysis (Figure 1). The goal is to provide businesses and government agencies with actionable insights into the public’s emotional landscape so they can make better-informed decisions. By anonymously capturing Americans’ moods, the company is bringing transparency and depth to how we understand collective sentiment, especially around pivotal moments like the 2024 election.
Overall
With a unique lens on how people are feeling, the data shows consistent mood levels week over week despite the political and social tensions of the season. This information offers a rare glimpse into the emotional landscape of Americans as they anticipate a high-stakes election outcome.
Over the past month, The Real Feel’s sentiment scores, rated on a scale from 1 to 10, have remained stable, hovering around a 7, indicating an unshaken mood across the population. Weekly ratings illustrate this constancy (Figure 2).
Gender, Age Group, and Political Affiliation Trends
- Across demographics, sentiment patterns reveal that men consistently report a more positive mood than women. Men’s mood ranged from 7.1 to 7.6, while women’s mood ranged from 6.6 to 6.9 (Figure 3).
- Specifically White males had the highest moods between 7.1 to 7.9, and tend to describe a sense of optimism and well-being, with many expressing they feel well-rested, though some still report work-related fatigue. In contrast, women’s lower moods are often attributed to feeling overwhelmed with balancing multiple responsibilities, from managing work and family to navigating relationship challenges, which adds to their overall sense of stress (Figure 4).
- People aged 18–29 have consistently rated their moods the lowest, between 5.9 to 6.8, compared to other generations. Many in the age group are grappling with heightened anxiety about the future and struggling to balance life’s demands. This trend likely reflects new societal pressures unique to their generation, such as the influence of social media, inflation, and shifting attitudes toward traditional work environments (Figure 5).
- On the political spectrum, mood ratings remained fairly balanced among Democrats and Republicans, with all groups ranging from 6.3 to 7.5, slightly higher among Republicans last week compared to Democrats. Scores by political affiliation reveal a mood consistency that persists despite rising tensions (Figure 6).
While mood ratings are fairly aligned across party lines, people across the board report mixed feelings, from hopeful optimism to anxiety about the country’s direction. The anticipation of the election has, in some cases, exacerbated these feelings, with a few respondents sharing sentiments like, “extremely worried about the outcome of the upcoming elections” (Mood: 4, Anxious, Female, 60+, White / Caucasian, Democrat).
General Sentiments: Overworked, Lonely, and Financially Strained
The Real Feel has also identified initial themes echoing across multiple demographics:
- Overworked and fatigued: Many respondents report feeling overwhelmed by their work responsibilities. Globally, countries like Korea, Spain, and France are testing shorter work weeks or implementing laws to support a better work-life balance, suggesting the U.S. could consider similar changes.
- “because of work i’m just super tired and stressed out about things going on within work and at home it’s so frustrating yeah!” (Mood, 7, Ok, Female, 18–29, HHI $0–9,999, White / Caucasian).
- “been up since 3am work 5 days a week 10 hours. so ya” (Mood: 8, Tired, Male, 45–60, Democrat).
- Loneliness: The absence of close-knit communities has led many to feel isolated. This is a common theme, with respondents noting financial hardships and demanding work schedules as obstacles to social engagement.
- “been alone all day so i'm kind of bored” (Mood: 8, Bored, Female, 45–60, White / Caucasian, both Democrat and Republican).
- “People say they care about me but actually don’t” (Mood: 2, Sad, Female, 18–29, Democrat).
- Financial hardship: Inflation, layoffs, and economic challenges are heavily felt, especially by younger Americans. Millennials and Gen Z cite income as a primary concern, impacting both their mood and their ability to find time for self-care or relaxation.
- “There's so many home repair and medical bills and I have multiple jobs to stay afloat” (Mood: 4, Anxious, Female, 45–60, Republican).
- “i'm in pain physically, and i'm behind in so many things that it's affecting my financial life too.” (Mood: 3, Anxious, Female, 60+, $75,000–99,999, Political Party Other).
Despite these challenges, many respondents have found solace in spending time with family, self-care routines, and faith practices, which have been instrumental in providing moments of peace and joy.
Looking Ahead: Post-Election Sentiment Analysis and Beyond
As Election Day approaches, The Real Feel will track public’s sentiment in detail, preparing for a post-election analysis to compare how Americans’ moods evolve in response to the election’s outcome. This data will allow us to capture any shifts in sentiment and help leaders understand what the election results mean for Americans.
The Real Feel will also continue capturing weekly sentiment in the U.S., building deeper insights into how Americans are feeling. By consistently tracking these shifts, they’re able to uncover trends that offer specific value to businesses and organizations such as federal government & political organizations, financial institutions, marketing intelligence platforms and agencies, AI tech companies, and more. This ongoing analysis provides a clearer understanding of human emotions and motivations, empowering stakeholders to make decisions that better resonate with the public.
To learn more, visit The Real Feel at https://www.therealfeel.ai.
About The Real Feel
Founded in 2024, The Real Feel is the first real-time human sentiment and insights platform for people and businesses. By capturing and analyzing sentiment data in real time using polling and AI, we enable individuals to track their feelings and provide businesses with detailed, anonymous insights to inform better decisions. Our diverse customer base includes data and marketing intelligence companies, financial institutions, tech firms, brands, agencies, government institutions, and media organizations. For more information, visit https://www.therealfeel.ai.
