A new report has revealed the existential questions that people in the United States ask Google most often.
Digital marketer Third Coast analyzed more than 8,500 search terms and revealed the top existential questions facing residents of each state.
For people living in Kansas, New York and Vermont, ‘What am I?’ it was a common theme. While Californians, Massachusettsns, Ohioans, and Texans pondered, ‘What is the meaning of life?’
A new report reveals that not all Americans are equal in their existential Google questions. Digital marketer Third Coast has analyzed more than 8,500 search terms, revealing the top existential questions facing residents of each state.
Perhaps this is because California is home to prestigious universities like Stanford and UC Berkeley, while Massachusetts is home to Harvard and MIT.
Ohio and Texas are also home to many universities.
Educational settings can stimulate thoughtful discussion and introspection about the nature and purpose of existence.
A call for guidance rings out from Idaho, Indiana, Michigan and New Hampshire, whose residents often ask, ‘What should I do?’ about a given situation.
In Oregon and Wisconsin, residents are asking: ‘Is everything going to work out?’
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, and Utah are known to have significant religious populations.
Missouri and Nebraska have large Christian populations, mainly Protestants and Catholics.
Utah is well known for its large population of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and religion plays a crucial role in the state’s culture and community life.
Google’s top question for people living in Kansas, New York, and Vermont is “What am I?” while Californians, Massachusettsans, Ohioans, and Texans ask “What is the meaning of of the life?”
Montana, though less densely populated, also has a substantial Christian population. This may be why questions about faith and divinity resonate in Missouri, Montana, Nebraska and Utah with, ‘Is there a God?’
‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ is the top search for Delaware and North Dakota.
West Virginia seeks an understanding of the dark side of humanity with, ‘Why is there evil in the world?’ We would all like to know that.
Google’s top existential search in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee is more like grade school science: “Why is the sky blue?” It could be the science or the fact that these states have a lot of outdoor activities, which could stimulate interest in the natural world and its phenomena.
Searches in all states are not as intense. Residents of Maryland, New Jersey and South Carolina want an answer to the perennial riddle: ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg?’
Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Washington turn to Google for answers to ‘What is love?’ while Hawaii, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Rhode Island are on a romantic quest, wanting to know, ‘Is there a soul mate?’
Finally, the good people of Maine and Wyoming find themselves embroiled in the culinary debate: ‘Is a hot dog a sandwich?’ According to Merriam-Webster, a sandwich is “two or more slices of bread or a split bun with a filling in the middle.” Technically, a hot dog could be considered a sandwich.
Other interesting Google searches
‘Why does my goldfish turn black?’
Sounds bad, but this color change may be due to a natural aging process, a reaction to exposure to sunlight, or possibly a sign of poor water conditions.
‘Do penguins have knees?’
For the record, yes, penguins have knees, hidden inside their bodies. Their unique skeletal structure gives them that characteristic attractive gait.
‘Why does my cat hate me?’
Your feline friends don’t hate you, even when they attack your claws first. Your kitty’s nonchalance could just be that they’re playing hard to get!
‘Can I start my own country?’
All you need is a defined territory, a permanent population, a functioning government, and other nations willing to participate. That shouldn’t be too hard, right?
‘How to become a magician?’
I’m sorry, but that letter from Hogwarts isn’t coming. You can always try the video game version!
