We're going to preface this by saying that we understand that 2020 has been one of the weirdest years on record. Perhaps, the oddest one in modern history. And, as humans tend to do these days, we're used to people coping with strangeness by taking to the Internet when looking for clarity.
That being said, while perusing through Google Trends' year-in-search document, we can't help but giggle a little bit. People have Googled some really odd things in the past few months.
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When it comes to beauty, hair-related topics were obviously the most popular ones out there. Without access to hair salons and beauty parlors, folks at home were stuck Googling "how to cut men's hair at home," "how to color your hair at home" and "how to style curtain bangs." For those of you who don't know, curtain bangs are ones that part in the middle.
Even more interestingly, a lot of users were looking for advice on "how to wash your hands," which makes sense given COVID-19-related guidelines but still makes us wonder: shouldn't people know how to properly wash their hands in non-pandemic times as well?
The document's "how to make" category also functions as sort of walk down memory lane, reminding us of all the relatively new products and obsessions we've had to contend with since March especially. "How to make hand sanitizer" was the most popular search within the category, followed by "how to make a face mask with fabric," "how to make whipped coffee" (which we explain in detail right here), "how to make a mask with a bandana" (which, by the way, is not as protective of a face covering as actual masks) and "how to make a mask without sewing."
It's the "why"-related searches that will likely elicit the majority of reactions. No, the number one question wasn't why did COVID-19 even happen to us? But, rather, "why were chainsaws invented?," "why is there a coin shortage?," "why was George Floyd arrested?," "why is Nevada taking so long?" and, in a likely feat of panic given the popularity of the app, "why is TikTok being banned?" What a year we've had.
But we must say that, overall, a look at the data has restored our faith in humanity. In fact, a whole lot of people have clearly been looking to somehow pay it forward by finding the right organizations to donate to. The most popular related Google queries involved how to donate to the Black Lives Matter movement, the Australian bushfires cause, the Georgia Senate runoff, Goodwill and how to donate blood. If anything, we're proud to be Americans today more than ever.
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