We have a drop down field where you can select a number, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and so on.
If a user edits this field into a different number (after they have registered), in our database it turns into this: a:1:{i:0;s:4:”2018″;} instead of 2018. If the field is edited by the admin via wordpress user management it becomes a plain number: 2018. If the field is not edited after registration, it is also a plain number.
How do I fix it so that the value is a plain number even when users edit their profile?