Google is a fascinating tool in many ways, because it can so perfectly capture a snapshot of what we’re collectively thinking about at any given moment. And in 2014, we cared a lot about celebrities and Flappy frickin’ Bird.
The site just rolled out the top searches of 2014, and it’s fascinating in what we can learn from it. For example:
- The number one search, both in the US and internationally, was Robin Williams, which probably underlines just what an enormous impact he had and how much he’ll be missed.
- Kim Kardashian not only couldn’t break the Internet, she couldn’t even beat out Jennifer Lawrence for the most searched celebrity. Probably that’s why she’s been reduced to cropping her daughter out of public bathroom selfies.
- Americans are apparently more interested in the news than the rest of the world. While the most popular US and trending top ten usually line up, Americans apparently Googled more about the Ukraine and Ferguson than the rest of the world. They cared more about the Olympics and an Austrian drag queen/pop star.
- Most people had to turn to Google to figure out how to use Apple’s Airdrop; learning how to turn it on was the most popular how-to search of the year, even beating out learning how to kiss.
The full list is, as usual, an interesting read, and we’ll be curious to see what tops it next year. Just, hopefully, it’s good news.