Google has released its annual Top Trending Searches for 2017 and the lists are packed with pop culture references as well as high profile events that flooded headlines over the past 12 months.
Alexandra Hunnings Klein, Google Trends expert said in order to build the lists, data from trillions of Google searches are analyzed.
“The key thing with trends is that we are taking a look at moments that peaked over a period of time,” Hunnings Klein said.
“We are looking for a shift in behaviour that indicates Canadians, Americans and people all over the world were interested in something new or peaks out of the ordinary.”
Top trending Why questions
• Why are NFL players protesting the national anthem?
• Why are flags in Canada at half-mast?
• Why are there so many hurricanes?
• Why are fidget spinners so popular?
• Why does Catalonia want independence?
• Why is the solar eclipse dangerous to look at?
• Why doesn’t Caillou have hair?
• Why are women marching?
• Why is everything so heavy?
• Why is Canadian thanksgiving different than US thanksgiving?
Hunnings Klein said in 2017 people searched ‘how’ more than ever before and among some of the popular ‘how’ questions was ‘how to make slime.’
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“In March of this year, when many people were off for March break, we saw a spike in searches for ‘how to make slime,’” she said.
“And on cue in April, we saw that there was another spike in searches for ‘how to get slime out of the carpet’… there’s something super human about all of this.”
Top trending How questions
• How do they name hurricanes?
• How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
• How soon should you take a pregnancy test?
• how to make solar eclipse glasses?
• how to bitcoin in Canada?
• How to renew a Canadian passport?
• How to make slime?
• How much does it cost to build a house?
• How often should you wash your hair?
• How to help someone with depression?
Hunnings Klein also added that natural disasters took a top spot in many Google searches in 2017.
“Major natural disasters have been a marquee for 2017,” she said, with Hurricane Irma becoming one of the top trending searches for 2017.
Top trending searches
• Hurricane Irma
• Meghan Markle
• Tom Petty
• Ottawa Senators
• North Korea
• Chris Cornell
• 13 Reasons Why
• Fidget Spinner
• iPhone 8
• Super Bowl
A new list also made its debut on Google’s Top Trending Searches: top trending memes.
“Memes do say quite a bit,” Hunnings Klein said.
Memes about U.S. President Donald Trump were among some of the top trending searches on Google, as well as memes around the removal of a passenger from a United Airlines flight in April.
Top trending memes
• Cash Me Outside Memes
• United Airlines Memes
• Donald Trump Memes
• Joe Biden Memes
• It (the movie) Memes
• Game of Thrones Memes
• Stranger Things Memes
• Salt Bae Memes
• Tom Brady Memes
• May the 4th Memes
Gord Downie, who passed away from terminal brain cancer in October was one of the top trending deaths and losses, joined by Tom Petty and Chris Cornell.
Top trending deaths/losses
• Tom Petty
• Chris Cornell
• Bill Paxton
• Gord Downie
• Chester Bennington
• Hugh Hefner
• Roy Halladay
• Lil Peep
• David Cassidy
• Aaron Hernandez
After allegations of sexual assault by prominent individuals in Hollywood came to light, names like Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer and Kevin Spacey were listed on Google’s top trending people.
Top trending people
• Harvey Weinstein
• Matt Lauer
• Kevin Spacey
• Éric Salvail
• Melania Trump
• Gal Gadot
• Louis CK
• Floyd Mayweather
• Ed Sheeran
• Omar Khadr
For Google’s full list of Top Trending Searches for 2017, visit trends.google.ca.