If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Kids of all ages have grown up dreaming of what it would be like to have superpowers. From telepathy to teleportation and everything in between, there’s no doubt that life would be a bit more convenient if we had a superpower to help us out.
The team at TransImpact is all about efficiency and forward-thinking. That’s why we set out to uncover how Americans really feel about superpowers. Which superpower is the most desired around the nation? How would people live differently if they had one? We uncovered all this and more through our survey.
The Most Desired Superpower in Every U.S. State
First, we asked people from every state to share which superpower they would opt for if they had the choice. While there was interest in many different superpowers, two reigned supreme.
Teleportation, or the power to relocate without physically moving, is the most desired in 23 states. Healing Ability, or the power to heal yourself and others, came out on top in 20 of the remaining states. The latter was also the most popular overall, according to 24% of respondents.
While teleportation would be incredibly convenient, having a natural healing ability would solve problems much bigger than sitting for a few minutes in a car or hours in a plane. Such a power could also be largely beneficial for the greater good of society – perhaps explaining its popularity.
For Good or For Evil?
Speaking of the greater good, we wanted to know exactly how people would use their powers. Turns out, people aren’t as unselfish as we may have speculated. In fact, roughly three out of every 5 (57%) Americans said they would use their superpower for their own benefit before using it to the advantage of others (including friends and family).
But it doesn’t stop there. Using the power with malicious intent is certainly not off the table. 47% of Gen Zers say they would use their power in this fashion – for example, stealing money, cheating on a test, the list goes on.
While the majority of the public (80%) say they would use their superpower for good, a slim margin (0.4%) admit they would use it for evil. What’s more, one in five (19.7%) would use it for both good and evil.
Maybe that explains why three-quarters of Americans think the world would not be a better place if everyone had a superpower!
What Would You Trade for a Superpower?
Enough talk about the hypothetical, let’s talk about reality (well, kind of). The next segment of our research dives into what people would sacrifice from their current life if it meant having the superpower of their choice. The results were surprising to say the least.
Our research proves that there’s a group of people willing to do just about anything for a superpower. For example, nearly 30% of Americans would trade in their furry friend to live out the superhero life of their dreams.
Technology stands even less of a chance. 42% would give up the internet, 59% would give up their smartphones, and 80% would give up all streaming services in exchange for a superpower.
Men are the more willing gender to part with these ‘necessities’. 2.3 out of every 10 men would give up their first born child for a superpower—now that’s a serious trade.
Money isn’t enough of an incentive for people to continue to live their everyday lives. If given the choice, 94.2% would opt for a superpower over an extra $1,000. Upping the stakes, 57.6% would still pick a superpower over a whopping $1,000,000.
Superpower Perceptions by Gender & Generation
Digging a little deeper into the disparity in perceptions among gender and generation, there are a few interesting correlations.
For starters, when asked if they believed a superpower would make others perceive them as more attractive, 55.5% of men agreed. Just 41.8% of women shared this sentiment. Men are not only more likely to make sacrifices for a superpower, but they also are 5.2% more likely to believe superpowers will one day become a reality through technological advancements.
We learned earlier that Gen Z has no fear of abusing their powers, and the bold attitude continues to ring true in other scenarios. For instance, Gen Z is the least likely to say they’d keep their superpower a secret. Gen X is the most likely to be protective of their powers, with just 14.8% admitting they’d tell others if they had a superpower.
