UFO interest peaked in the 1990s and is now in decline

books.google.com... O%3B%2Cc1

According to nGram, interest in UFOs peaked in 1997 - nearly 20 years ago and has been in decline since.

It seems like people just care less about UFOs these days. I think conspiracy theories about the government and big money have stolen a lot of their thunder. Not only that but the UFO lore and hype was largely built off of the Cold War, which was still sort of the mode of thinking in the 90s being the USSR had only just ceased to exist in that decade. I doubt a show like the X Files would be very popular today.

Do you think Ufology is a dying hobby and interest? Now that everyone has camera phones and can record everything and still no smoking gun proof of aliens has emerged, it seems like it's fairly safe to say that there isn't anything actually going on.

reply to post by lampsalot


Yeah it certainly is in decline, but there are still quite a number of enthusiasts. I got into it around the mid 90's after a guy I played in a band with started sharing some of his stories.

I personally have seen two UFO's in broad daylight, strange craft unlike anything conventional I had seen previously.

My son who is now nineteen showed an interest for a few months when he was around fifteen, but with so many fake videos around it kind of deflates any continuing interest. I believe this is what is responsible for the decline.

lampsalot
Do you think Ufology is a dying hobby and interest?

Interest in UFOs has historically come in waves (flaps), where everything will be quiet for a while, then see a flurry of activity sparked by some controversial sighting or piece of presented evidence. The year 1997 was the 50th anniversary of Roswell, and there was some stuff that came out around that time that got people interested for a while.

I don't know if we're going to pull out of this one, though. It would take a particularly strong piece of evidence, and not just some fuzzy video on YouTube. Otherwise, it might just fade away and become a kind of hobby among a few oddballs. Like collecting pogs or something.

reply to post by lampsalot



A closer look at the stats or the way the survey was done would perhaps throw a different light onto that conclusion.
Yes, today people seem to say, Same 'ol, same 'ol," when they see a new video of a supposed UFO. Why not? How many times will you allow yourself to put some faith in a video only to find out later that it has been faked?

The true question to ask is how many people believe in UFOs today versus some time in the past. Today, it is almost a "ho-hum" topic, . the belief is "Yes, of course, they are out there, but those Chinese lanterns were too fakey to be UFOs." People are getting more sophisticated in their views about UFOs, It ain't just about weird ships in our air, there is a whole new universe of new thought on the topic of ETs these days. You haven't noticed? With science working overtime to tell us about earthlike planets they have discovered, possible life on Titan, water on Mars, etc. The concept of UFO being ET craft is not going to fade away, it is going to fester in the human psyche as each scientific step brings them closer to reality.

I won't bother to take issue with some of the wilder statements you make about the old X-Files, etc.

Here is a video showing the massive amount of ufo's in january 2009 alone in Britain: the amount of sightings is really huge for 1 month of Britain and this was a typical month.
www.youtube.com...

Not saying there's no interest at all anymore, I just think it's declined considerably since its peak in the later 90s/earlier noughties.

reply to post by lampsalot


I don't think that the interest is failing but the good cases are becoming scarcier as time goes by. We have become better at identifying what we see. Lanterns, planes, helicopters, blimps and even Venus are easier to identify with the current technology.

Hoaxes are easier to debunk, good solid pictures are still a rarity and abductions seem to have hit an all time low.

Charlatans are still a dime a dozen though so I doubt that the field itself is lacking interest. We just need another solid Phoenix type case...

JMHO.

lampsalot
I doubt a show like the X Files would be very popular today.

Really X-files is what got people into UFO's

If they made X-files today it would be popular as long as it had a good story line like the old one

The masses really don't give a # about UFOs, speculation on ancient contact or the implications of an extraterrestrial presence.. In general they just don't care. Whoever or whatever is guiding or controlling the media either doesn't take it seriously, or doesn't want us to take it seriously.

As for me, I have seen things in the high desert night sky that defy logic or explanation, mainly orbs of bright light moving soundlessly and disappearing out of existence, even saw one being chased by fighter jets and some very large (and extremely loud) helicopters. It doesn't happen often but when it does nothing can prepare you for it, many times I found myself questioning my self if it even happened or was it a dream.. I never bring it up in discussion and honestly find myself uncomfortable when other people do, especially around those who aren't used to the concept, or haven't seen it for themselves..

personally, I think the government knows more than they are letting on.. People just don't care enough to pursue the UFO issue and demand answers, because most think its a figment of imagination or a result of a few hoax youtube videos. Simply not the case at all..

but people will believe what they want to and I'm cool with that

There seems to be a pattern of interest in the phenomenon that peaks every 10-15 years with each generation.

We saw UFO Cults popping up mainly in the 50s and 70s.
Note; there are some organizations like the Billy Meier cult, and more loosely New Age Associated groups attached to personalities like Steven Greer not listed in the link.

These waves of interest seem to also coincide with interests in apocalypticism.
In times of perceived global stress, we get the "any port in a storm" mentality where interest and renewed observation of religion, spiritual practices, metaphysical interests, and UFO/Aliens climbs where the common denominator is a hope or desire for Intervention, whether divine, supernatural, or technological to come save the day.

Just recently, we had the 2012 Apocalypse.
After that amounted to essentially nothing, with no UFOs showing up at the Olympics, No UFOs showing up unambiguously really anywhere, and no great change occurring, the reality of the "Coming Soon" mentality proving false begins to set in.

There's only so long people can hear "Coming SOON!" with nothing ever happening before they grow tired of it decide to focus their lives on they find more meaningful and immediately rewarding.

This, of course, applies primarily to the magical thinking trend crowd that falls for the Fabricated mythology associated with the UFO phenomenon.

While there is a genuine UFO phenomenon, we still can't quantify it entirely. This frustrates the casual enthusiast too.
It's frustrating over time as well for near every report that pops up to be readily and quite thoroughly identified as a missile launch, balloons, chinese lanterns, birds and bugs, ice particles, CGI, LED kites, skydivers at night, the typical misidentified stars and planets, solar balloons, satellites, and regular aircraft time and time again.

Where are the flying Saucers of yester year?

Until we know, we won't and for most people, there's much more immediately rewarding pursuits on offer than an interest that never pays out.

AliceBleachWhite

While there is a genuine UFO phenomenon, we still can't quantify it entirely.

How on earth would you know whether it's genuine or not

2013 was (imo) the slowest ufo year in the last twenty.
The last "wow factor" event was Stephensville
Since then I've seen nothing that peaked my interest.

-Always checking the news hoping for a mass sighting, there just haven't been any lately (that I found at all interesting)

I think that comes down to only so many years where you can believe in something without some tangible proof that can't be argued in someway.

Of all the video clips, of all the pictures their has not been one that can't be argued against.
Most of what you hear or read now are people giving their impression of something they witnessed.

It's tough..i want to believe but it was much easier to do when I was younger .

BlueMule

How on earth would you know whether it's genuine or not

Hmmm. Let's See:

UFO = UNIDENTIFIED Flying Object.

Given where there are reports of as-of-yet Identified, therefore Unidentified phenomenon, reasoning would then thus suggest that by being Unidentified Phenomenon, as well as Flying, and also apparently Objects, the definition would apply.

If you're questioning the legitimacy and validity with which I can personally identify phenomenon, or not, that's a non issue to the subject of identification as there are certainly other well experienced people who've a range of expertise in matters and facilities I personally don't possess in my toolbox as well as overlapping abilities and training that could and can quite readily lend their own interrogative into any matters past, present, and/or future.

Whatever the case, so long as a reported instance of UFO phenomenon remains Unidentified, then, by all means, such would qualify as 'genuine'.

Please note a distinction here.
This is a very Important Distinction those with poor facility for reasoning often ignore and/or even reject:
UFO does not equal Alien.
UFO = Unidentified Flying Object Phenomenon, whatever that might be.

reply to post by AliceBleachWhite


Have you ever seen a UFO

reply to post by lampsalot


I think part of it may well be something to do with disclosure always being the dangling carrot that never gets eaten.
Another aspect is the alternative thinking to the already alternative topic of U.F.O.'s
And that being The New World Order which spikes peoples interests far more than other"out there"subject nowadays.
When people connect all the dots and realize the two subjects are inherently connected then we may have a Eureka moment and the interest in U.F.O.s will spike again.

lampsalot
books.google.com... O%3B%2Cc1

According to nGram, interest in UFOs peaked in 1997 - nearly 20 years ago and has been in decline since.

It seems like people just care less about UFOs these days. I think conspiracy theories about the government and big money have stolen a lot of their thunder. Not only that but the UFO lore and hype was largely built off of the Cold War, which was still sort of the mode of thinking in the 90s being the USSR had only just ceased to exist in that decade. I doubt a show like the X Files would be very popular today.

Do you think Ufology is a dying hobby and interest? Now that everyone has camera phones and can record everything and still no smoking gun proof of aliens has emerged, it seems like it's fairly safe to say that there isn't anything actually going on.

edit on 8-1-2014 by lampsalot because: (no reason given)

Hollywood has moved on from alien movies. so this means people put it behind them in the 90s the only threat was from outer space today theres alot more to worry about. The big thing now is disaster movies but hopefully they will go away im so tired of doom porn.

lampsalot
books.google.com... O%3B%2Cc1

According to nGram, interest in UFOs peaked in 1997 - nearly 20 years ago and has been in decline since.

It seems like people just care less about UFOs these days. I think conspiracy theories about the government and big money have stolen a lot of their thunder. Not only that but the UFO lore and hype was largely built off of the Cold War, which was still sort of the mode of thinking in the 90s being the USSR had only just ceased to exist in that decade. I doubt a show like the X Files would be very popular today.

The X-Files would still be popular. I blame it going off the air for the decline in interest

Like Alice said, there have also been too many hoaxes, too many charlatans, too many people making a buck off of UFO conferences and UFOs Inc. Too many "mass alien landings" / "disclosure" events which didn't happen.

People are now highly skeptical of such pronouncements as well they should always have been.

There's also a recognition that there are things like drones and other things flying which can explain a lot of UFO sightings. Photos and video are easily faked so they are no longer good proof of anything anomalous.

At the same time the people who are doing legitimate science to find out what life may exist out there in the universe have gotten a lot more attention in recent years with the finding of potentially habitable worlds so the interest in aliens has gone from UFOs to the scientific search for life in the universe, interest in exoplanets as well places where simple life may exist or once existed in our solar system like Europa, Titan or Mars is at an all time high for example.

People like Sara Seager and Michio Kaku have taken the place of Linda Moulton Howe and Nick Pope.

It probably declined because it never progressed. Documentaries today still only made for people with zero knowledge of UFO stories, activities etc. News reports still ask the most basic of questions. Nothing about it ever seemed to get smarter, the smarts are reserved for your own interests and they can lessen over the years. If the media kept up and perhaps actually delivered some half decent study into the subjects there'd probably be more interest. People like to use their brains but mainstream ufology rarely allows them to do so.

dragonridr

lampsalot
books.google.com... O%3B%2Cc1

According to nGram, interest in UFOs peaked in 1997 - nearly 20 years ago and has been in decline since.

It seems like people just care less about UFOs these days. I think conspiracy theories about the government and big money have stolen a lot of their thunder. Not only that but the UFO lore and hype was largely built off of the Cold War, which was still sort of the mode of thinking in the 90s being the USSR had only just ceased to exist in that decade. I doubt a show like the X Files would be very popular today.

Do you think Ufology is a dying hobby and interest? Now that everyone has camera phones and can record everything and still no smoking gun proof of aliens has emerged, it seems like it's fairly safe to say that there isn't anything actually going on.

edit on 8-1-2014 by lampsalot because: (no reason given)

Hollywood has moved on from alien movies. so this means people put it behind them in the 90s the only threat was from outer space today theres alot more to worry about. The big thing now is disaster movies but hopefully they will go away im so tired of doom porn.

I predict a lot more asteroid "doom porn" disaster movies in about 10 years as the world looks at the approach of Apophis with trepidation.