In a year filled with so much uncertainly, many have turned to Google to (hopefully) answer our most pressing questions. How do I make a no-sew mask ? Are there any online design classes that I can take for free ? What should I watch now that I finished binging “ The Queen’s Gambit ?” If you’re curious to find out whether or not other digital dwellers shared the same questions, Google just released their annual Year in Search trend report.
From the top trending movies and TV shows to virtual activities and DIY projects, this search data is telling as to how we’ve spent our time at home this year. Who knows, maybe it’ll even give you some new ideas for the long winter ahead.
TV Shows and Movies
2020 was one for the streaming services. With more time than ever at home, people have turned to their screens for comfort and entertainment, and odds are you’ve already watched some of top trending TV shows and movies this year.
For TV shows, “ Tiger King ” took the gold medal in most Google searches—which doesn’t come as a total surprise, considering it exposed shocking realization of exotic animal abuse that exists in the U.S. Ultimately, it was helpful in shedding light to the problematic private zoos that should be investigated, as National Geographic reported .
The second top trending show was “ Cobra Kai “, followed by “ Ozark ,” “ The Umbrella Academy ,” and the recently buzzed-about “ The Queen’s Gambit ,” all of which can be streamed on Netflix.
Check out the full list below:
For movies, “ Parasite ” was the top trending film of 2020. It won best picture at the Oscars earlier this year, but this film’s popularity is possibly due to the genius, comedic twist on an otherwise dark plot—perhaps something we all need in the midst of a pandemic.
Other movies that ranked included “ 1917 ,” “ Black Panther ”—possibly tied to Chadwick Boseman’s passing in August—“ 365 Dni ,” and “ Contagion ,” among others.
Check out the full list here:
Virtual…
The virtual world has allowed us an escape as well as stay connected with loved ones while we’re physically limited to do so. Google pulled the top trending searches that begin with “virtual…” and the results were a mix of tours, events, and classes.
The number one topic was “virtual field trips,” which is most likely due to the at-home learning in 2020. Since it’s important to give kids a creative outlet that’s also educational—all while having to stay indoors—virtual learning programs became more important than ever. Airbnb, for example, launched their virtual field trips in the fall to expose kids to virtual extracurricular activities in fun and interactive ways.
Next in line was “ virtual museum tours ,” followed by “Kentucky Derby,” “virtual learning,” and “virtual NBA fans.” And of course, “virtual marriage” and “virtual baby shower,” had to make the list as well—just because we couldn’t physically see each other doesn’t mean we couldn’t celebrate.
See the full list here:
How to make…
Many have done more DIYs this year than ever before (raises hand), and Google pulled the top trending search terms starting with “How to Make…” to find out what those projects were. Some of them were a choice, while others felt more like necessity, but the findings are interesting nonetheless.
The winner of “How to Make…” category is “How to make hand sanitizer,” which is fairly self-explanatory. Once the pandemic hit the US in March, hand sanitizer flew off the shelves and quickly sold out, so many people tried to figure out how to make their own at home. However, false information was circulating around the web, suggesting that it could be made with vodka, essential oils, and other natural products contained enough alcohol when they certainly did not .
“How to make a face mask with fabric” came in second, followed by similar terms such as “how to make a mask with a bandana” and “how to make a mask without sewing.” Other home-related ranking results were “ whipped coffee ” and “cloud bread.”
Here’s the top ranking terms here: