It's true that precision is important when citing data, however your criticism of the source in this case may be a bit unwarranted. Statistics can be complex, and while it's possible that the average American in this case refers to the modal individual, it's just as likely that it was simply an imprecise way of saying that the average steps per day for Americans falls somewhere between 2300 and 3000. Urrong in assuming that the source was mocking you or committing a "criminal infraction," the lack of clarity in the source's wording does not automatically indicate maliciousness or ill intent.
