We spend so much of our lives performing on social media, curating our biggest hits and professional milestones. But where do we go when we really want to understand the world, or when we want to admit that we have no idea what we’re doing?
As a data editor at Google, I spend every day looking at the world’s largest publicly available dataset. For me, it’s the brain of the world represented in data. It provides a unique window into what people have been thinking for the past 20 years.
The data is definitely honest. The way we collectively search is not how we express ourselves on social media. There is no such thing as a “stupid query” and analyzing these large-scale trends can very accurately reflect our shared curiosity.
When we analyze the trillions of queries made each year, surprising patterns emerge. Here are the three most obvious questions people ask and the surprising insights they reveal about who we really are.
1. “How to boil an egg” (and other basic life skills)
If you look at the most frequently asked questions around the world, you might expect some complex metaphysical questions. “What is love?” It always ranks in the top 10, but the list is overwhelmingly dominated by everyday things.
“How to boil eggs” is consistently one of the top searches for food “how to” searches around the world. I’m also constantly searching for things like “how to fix a toilet” and “how to fix a door.”
It’s easy to look at this data and conclude that we are losing basic life skills, that we sometimes forget how to perform basic tasks as adults. But these questions, even when asked by an adult, can sound like they’re coming from the sweet, innocent ignorance of teenagers.
There is a very hopeful human trait hidden in this data. Search provides a non-judgmental environment for admitting what we don’t know. The fact that millions of people are typing these basic questions means that even if we are totally clueless, we are willing to learn and improve ourselves.
2. “Work that helps people”
The way we view our careers has changed dramatically over the past few years, and Google Trends data confirms this in a big way. We turn to Search for guidance on professional hurdles and quietly ask questions like “how to ask for a raise,” “how to ask for feedback,” and “how to ask for letters of recommendation.”
And for years, one of the top career-related searches has predictably been “high-paying career.”
There is strong evidence that people are looking for more fulfilling paths in the post-pandemic world. Recently, we have seen significant changes in the data. Searches for “jobs that help others” actually outnumbered searches for “high-paying jobs.” The most common role-related searches in this category are for professions such as therapist, social worker, and psychologist.
While we worry about our economic future, aggregated search results testify to our collective desire to contribute meaningfully to society.
3. “How can I help…”
We keep being told that the internet brings out our most selfish, divided, or angry impulses. However, search data strongly contradicts the idea that humans are only interested in taking care of themselves.
“How can I help…” has never been more searched than it is now. In both the US and UK, the most commonly searched query in this category over the past decade has been ‘how to help someone with depression’, closely followed by anxiety disorders and panic attacks. This is a reminder that while the search is a starting point, professional medical or mental health support may be essential if someone is suffering.
When we see someone suffering, our instinct is to help, but we don’t know where to start. Whether it’s a global crisis or a friend going through a difficult time, we turn to the internet for advice on what to do for others.
you are not alone
We often think that our anxiety, midnight worries, or lack of basic knowledge is what isolates us from others. But one thing to take away from this data is this. It means “You are not alone.”
If you’re looking for ways to boil eggs, ask for a raise, or comfort a grieving loved one, you’re not alone. After all, we are humans. We’re not perfect, but we have more in common than we think.
Simon Rogers is the author of Ask Google: A Surprisingly Hopeful View of Humanity. As a data editor at Google, you lead a team of data journalists, analysts, and visualizers to tell stories. Previously, he was Twitter’s first data editor and author of Facts Are Sacred.
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