The controversial President beat more conventional icons amongst kids such as Walt Disney World, New York and the Statue of Liberty as the first thing children associated with the USA. Guns, racism and violence also appeared in the poll of a thousand children, aged only six to 11 years old.
For a country that prides itself on ‘The American Dream’, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the survey highlights a seismic change from the USA’s wholesome values and idealistic image.
Simon Hood, sales and marketing director of John Mason, said:
“We move thousands of families around the world every year and so we wanted to find out the thoughts of some of our most important and youngest customers. We were intrigued by the results we uncovered. Many Americans might be surprised by the impact that President Trump is having on their national reputation amongst children so young. This might explain why Australia topped the list of countries children would most like to live in, and why the moon proved more popular than the United States.”
Other survey results identified Justin Bieber as the top answer when asked about the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Canada. Pop sensation, Bieber triumphed over fellow Canadian musician, Drake as well as outperforming more traditional Canadian pursuits such as ice hockey and maple syrup on pancakes.
The results also highlighted how tech-savvy younger generations are becoming. The top item that children would take with them if they were moving to a new country was a tablet; a priority ahead of a family pet, favourite toy or photos of family and friends.
The survey also found that Harry Potter, fish and chips and football beat the Queen in the popularity stakes as the best reasons for living in the UK.
John Mason helps thousands of families with international removals across the world, including relocations to the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.
The team took the study one step further and visited a local nursery to find our what the kids had to say about the subject. See what they said on our very special film ‘A kid’s view of the world’ here.
