Americans turn to Google for just about everything. With 96% of Americans using Google to answer questions regularly, a search history can reveal someone’s deepest, darkest secrets, and the questions they don’t want to don’t want to ask anyone else.
The team at Digital Third Coast analyzed about 8,600 Google search terms to identify the top 10 existential questions people are asking the search engine. They also surveyed 800 Americans to better understand how people use Google to answer their questions and why they use it to better understand the human condition. The nationwide survey finds that 1 in 3 Americans have asked Google an existential question about life.
America is asking Google to answer many of life’s greatest mysteries, despite the search engine’s limitations.
The top searched existential questions in the U.S. include “Why is the sky blue?,” “What do dreams mean?,” “What is the meaning of life?,” “Do animals have souls?,” and “Why am I so tired?”
It’s not just existential questions people are asking Google. 55% said they use Google multiple times a day and are asking an average of 10 questions daily. 1 in 5 said they couldn’t go a day without consulting Google.
While not everyone is asking for Google’s advice, there is a near-universal agreement that it shouldn’t be the only place consulted. In fact, 96% believe people should do additional research after getting advice from Google.
The full report also shows the most Googled question in each state and the number of people who say they trust Google’s advice more than family and friends.
For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.