Now, we’re serious.

A survey has found that Americans, at least half of those surveyed, anyway, have lost interest in celebrities over the course of the recession and have turned their attention to more weighty matters.

The “mood monitor” survey, commissioned by Euro RSCG Worldwide, found that 46.4 percent of Americans have taken a liking to the news. We’ve developed more interest in local, state and national politics.

Not surprisingly, the economy and finance are grabbing our attention, too, with 63.4 percent of men and 52.1 percent of women saying they are more interested in those topics than they were 12 to 18 months ago.

“A year into the Obama presidency and 18 months into the economic crisis, Americans are looking more closely and more critically than ever at the public issues that affect them,” Marian Salzman, president of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, North America, said in a news release.

All of that interest in current affairs has led to some gloom. Respondents said they were bracing for higher taxes and an increase in the cost of living.