Every so often, Jay Leno takes to the streets and does a skit called "Jaywalking." He corners average Americans, then stands back and laughs as they struggle to answer even the simplest of questions. "Street Smarts" is a half-hour television show based on the same premise.
But, to many people outside the Hollywood circuit, American ignorance is not a laughing matter.
"There are lots of instances born out of a lack of understanding of cultural differences," said George Barnett, professor of communications.
Barnett said this kind of misunderstanding is dangerous, as it causes unfounded animosity and indifference among Americans and affects their voting behavior. This in turn increases anti-American sentiment.
Researchers at the U.S. National Geographic Society found that only 13 percent of possible American draftees could find Iraq on a map. Another 83 percent of Americans couldn't find Afghanistan, Israel or Iran. Three out of ten couldn't find the Pacific Ocean.
In 2002, the National Geographic-Roper Global Geographic Literacy Survey quizzed over 3,000 people ages 18 to 24 from nine major countries. American students scored next to last, beating only Mexico.
In the same study, only 19 percent of Americans could name four countries officially acknowledged as having nuclear weapons.
"I'm continually amazed at how little UB students know about the rest of the world," said Barnett. "Unless we're knowledgeable, we're not prepared to act as responsible citizens of the global community."
Knowledge Networks, a company that gathers consumer information, along with the Program on International Policy Issues, conducted a series of polls last year. In one poll, 48 percent of Americans said they believed the US had uncovered evidence that revealed a close working relationship between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda, even though that was not the case.
Students are quick to acknowledge their lack of awareness regarding political and world affairs.
"I don't know about world news right now," admitted Greg Capodagli, a sophomore business major. "I like knowing what goes on in the world, but I don't have time."
Kaitlin Felix, a sophomore undecided major, also said it is her schedule that prevents her from being up to date on the issues.
"I could be more informed, but I don't always have the time to sit down and read through the entire newspaper or a news magazine," she said. She said Americans put their focus on other things, and world news tends to be at the bottom of many priority lists.
"People tend to concentrate on other aspects of life, such as their personal lives," Felix said.
Asad Rizvi, a freshman history major, believes awareness of global issues has fallen off the priority lists of Americans altogether. He said their lack of concern for the larger world prevents them from making time to educate themselves.
"It's their apathy that restricts them from knowing. Being informed by others isn't enough. They need to have the desire to know," said Rizvi. "Many think it doesn't concern them, so there is no reason to gain more knowledge. To learn about it just requires will."
Even those who try to stay on top of the issues may have trouble finding a credible source of information according to Barnett. He said American news outlets tend to concentrate solely on countries with cultural and linguistic traits akin to those of the United States.
"The broadcast and electronic media do not do a very good job of covering international news, with the possible exception of CNN," he said. "We only get news from countries that are similar to us."
He said he is skeptical of most news media, which tends to be thrill-oriented and commercially driven. He said only the most sensational stories with high death counts manage to catch Americans' attention.
Paul Smith, a junior English major, shares Barnett's skepticism.
"I don't think the American media portrays the news accurately. It definitely tones down and edits what we see because of advertisement," he said.
Barnett said there are very practical ways for American students to become better informed about the world around them.
He said befriending international students will naturally lead to a better understanding of their cultures. Students can also read major newspapers from countries around the world from the comfort of their own homes via the Internet.
But nothing beats experiencing different cultures firsthand, Barnett said.
"Travel. Take the opportunity to go somewhere else. Study abroad," Barnett said.
