How many of the 25% have a smart phone released in the last 12 months and premium cable? Go to bars every week? A statistic like the headline is meaningless without a lot more qualification.
Some people are simply irresponsible and bad with money. It should be quantified.
People also use cards to accumulate points, and credit cards are easier to fight against fraudulent purchases vs debit cards. So it's not even a fair measure.
"25% of Americans simply make no money and are going to starve" is the reading the press wants us to make to make us click. The truth is probably closer to what you say.
Some people are simply irresponsible and bad with money. It should be quantified.