The Top Google Trends That Captured 2024’s Cultural Moment
- Dr. James Emery White Serioustimes.org
- Published Dec 19, 2024
This is the time to recap the year that was. And what a year it was. There are a number of ways to do it, many that are interesting. You can look at a year in terms of notable deaths, viral events, political rises and falls, etc. But how do you really get a 12-month snapshot of a culture’s zeitgeist?
I would argue for two words: Google searches. I’m not saying that this will be what historians will mark in 10, much less 100 years… even less what is most significant. But I will say that it may be the clearest window into our current soul.
So here we go with a few peeks into our inner world in 2024, courtesy of Google itself.
Top 10 News Story Searches:
1. Election
2. Copa América
3. Olympics
4. Hurricane Milton
5. Paralympics
6. Project 2025
7. Trump shot
8. House election results
9. Heat advisory
10. Hurricane Helene
Top 10 Searches:
1. Election
2. Donald Trump
3. Connections
4. New York Yankees
5. Kamala Harris
6. Copa América
7. Hurricane Milton tracker
8. Olympic medal count
9. Toby Keith
10. Liam Payne
Top 10 “Trend Meaning” Searches:
1. Demure
2. Give me my money
3. English or Spanish
4. This and yap
5. 17 diapers
6. Hear me out
7. Coquette
8. Roman Empire
9. Brat
10. Big back
And finally, the Top 10 “Passing” Searches:
1. Toby Keith
2. Liam Payne
3. O.J. Simpson
4. James Earl Jones
5. Rich Homie Quan
6. Thomas Matthew Crooks
7. Shannen Doherty
8. Carl Weathers
9. Richard Simmons
10. Maggie Smith
Welcome to our world.
James Emery White
Sources
See the “Year in Search 2024” for the United States, Google, read online.
Photo Courtesy: ©GettyImages/andreswd
Published Date: December 30th, 2024
James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on X, Facebook, and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.
