‘Why?’ and other most-searched topics on Google this year
With a myriad of news and stories that left us feeling overwhelmed in 2020, people tried to be at peace with the world by asking a very powerful question: “Why?”
This year, it was searched “more than ever,” according to Google’s 2020 Year In Search video written and spoken by incredible poet Kofi Lost. “Together”—an original song produced by Peter Cottontale—played in the background. Chance the Rapper lent his voice to the masterpiece, blending nicely with backup vocals by Cynthia Erivo and the Chicago Children’s Choir.
The global queries sparked a rollercoaster of feelings to its users such as joy, excitement, sadness, grief, love, compassion, and optimism, among others.
“why can’t i sleep”
“why am i so tired”
“why is it called covid-19”
“why is parasite so good”
“why are people protesting”
Apart from how the coronavirus pandemic has unfortunately taken the lives of many, the video also highlighted the connections that have been formed in this time of self-isolation and social distancing. There were also COVID-19 weddings and viral videos in between the Black Lives Matter movement and the heartbreaking deaths of notable personalities like basketball legend Kobe Bryant.
“why are there so many fires”
“why is empathy important”
“why is democracy important”
“why black lives matter”
“why do people dream”
In the Philippine setting, it’s interesting to note that “US election 2020” was the most searched topic in the country this year, followed by “NBA score” and “coronavirus.” Many also searched for “DepEd Commons,” “Taal Volcano,” “NBA schedule,” “Kobe Bryant,” “Lakers vs Heat,” “first day of school,” and “www.reliefagad.ph.”
What do these top Google searches have in common? They all show how love, empathy, and resilience got us through it all.
Article thumbnails from Google's 2020 Year In Search video