The coronavirus outbreak, elections and Zoom meetings were on the minds of U.S. consumers this year, according to Google’s list of the U.S. top trending searches in 2020, released this morning.
via: Complex
Why?
As the events of the past 12 months have shown us, this is most often the core question of existence, particularly during a ruthless pandemic that’s been met with a sobering seriousness by many and a baffling sense of indifference from others.
On Wednesday, Google came through with their annual deep-dive into a year’s worth of search trends, unsurprisingly revealing the No. 1 search was coronavirus. Others placing high in the general searches trend list include the 2020 presidential election, the late Kobe Bryant, and Zoom.
In times of uncertainty, people seek understanding and meaning. 2020 was a year of deep questioning, as the world searched "why" more than ever, according to Google Trends. Explore more trends from the year at https://t.co/JdD6lj4ru9#YearInSearch pic.twitter.com/wAfuARB3u9
— Google (@Google) December 9, 2020
Actors including Joaquin Phoenix, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Tom Hanks were high on the trends ranking for their respective category. The concerts category, meanwhile, saw high volumes for Travis Scott and Garth Brooks. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s still-ubiquitous “WAP” came in at No. 1 for the lyrics category, notably ahead of BTS’ “Dynamite” and 6ix9ine’s “GOOBA.”
The full Year in Search breakdown for 2020—which also includes Chadwick Boseman, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, George Floyd, Naya Rivera, Tiger King, Parasite, and more—is available here.
And getting more specific, Google has also shared an investigative look into how the pandemic era has altered our daily rituals. For example, the top trending beauty-related “how to” for 2020 was “how to cut men’s hair at home.”
There’s no real surprise with the list.
