Zeitgeist 2009

Posted by Kenneth Ronkowitz on



We search the web and what we search is monitored and then we look at what the world searched and look for trends. We seem to love to look for patterns and find meaning in all this. We especially seem to like to do this at the end of the year and at the end of decades.

zeitgesitSince 2001, Google has been releasing an annual zeitgeist view into the spirit of the year. What were the fastest-rising Google searches (biggest surge in the past year) and most popular (consistently searched in large volume)?

Does a look at 2009's popular and fastest rising search terms give you any glimpse into what's been on the mind of the global community this year?  I can divide the fastest rising queries across the globe into "No Surprise There" (Michael Jackson, Facebook, Twitter, New Moon) and "What's That?" (Tuenti, torpedo gratis, sanalika).

I learn a few things - like that Tuenti is a Spanish social-networking site. You learn that there are trends in the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Kenya and the United Kingdom that don't trend in the U.S.?  (You mean we are not the world?) How do the top TV shows searched compare with the top rated TV shows? ( 1. glee 2. bones 3. fringe 4. ncis 5. castle 6. house 7. wipeout 8. medium 9. leverage 10. kings)

The trends?  The social web is global. And the world is monitoring the "swine flu" (schweinegrippe, gripe porcina, h1n1, swinskiej grypy, or sikainfluenssa). It even beats out the big news story in the U.S. - the inauguration of President Obama.

The Zeitgeist site showcases trends across various categories, cities and countries and gives you some information on how they create the lists.


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