December 09, 2020
Reuters/for PhillyVoice
Google released its "Year in Search — 2020" that shed light on the top searches of 2020.
If you searched Google for "Tiger King," "how to make sourdough," or "where is my stimulus money?" this year, you're not alone.
Google released its top search trends of 2020 Wednesday, shedding light on some of the things people searched for in a year like no other.
It's no surprise that the global top search was for "Coronavirus," followed by "election results," "Kobe Bryant" and "Zoom." In the U.S., though, "election results" surpassed "coronavirus" for the No. 1 search of 2020.
Even the 2011 movie Contagion made the top five movie searches of the year for its (slightly over-dramatized) depiction of life during a pandemic.
Google released a video accompanying its top searches list that highlighted the Black Lives Matter demonstrations, celebrity deaths, Australian fires and the Coronavirus pandemic.
“The most human trait is to want to know why, and in a year that tested everyone around the world, why was searched more than ever," according to the video.
The top "why's" asked in the United States were, "why is there a coin shortage?" "why was George Floyd arrested?" and, strangely, "why were chainsaws invented?"
For the first time, Black Lives Matter was searched worldwide. Google said the search increased five-fold compared to last year.
Every year, searches for 'how to be an influencer' (someone with substantial social media followers and the free gifts and perks that come with it) rise. But in 2020, 'how to be an ally' was searched far more.
“For many people, allyship meant standing with and for marginalized communities, committing to personal and public changes, and engaging in concrete actions to disrupt systemic oppression," Google said.
Similarly, 'how to be anti-racist' was searched more than 'how to be a millionaire.'
Searches for "dating during coronavirus" spiked in March but slowly petered out by the end of the year. Pennsylvania was the 10th highest state to search about dating during the pandemic.
With everyone stuck at home, searches for recipes like whipped coffee or the Disney Parks churro were high, as well as 'how to cut men's hair at home' and 'how to make hand sanitizer.' Popular games like Animal Crossing and Among Us were among top searches in the United States.
Celebrity losses trended as well. In the U.S., people searched for Kobe Bryant, "Glee" star Naya Rivera, Chadwick Boseman, George Floyd and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The world searched 'how to help' more than ever before this year — how to help during the Australia fires, Black Lives Matter, coronavirus and Beirut were among trending searches.
"How to donate blood," "how to donate to Black Lives Matter," and "how to donate N95 masks" trended in the U.S. as well.
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