You can learn a lot about a person by looking at their search history, but when it comes to countries, the results are a little … less clear.
According to omnipresent internet search king Google, Australia’s top search terms for 2017 reveal a country obsessed with sport (makes sense), Channel Ten’s The Bachelor (understandable), Club Penguin (what?), and, for some reason, slime.
Topping our overall most searched terms throughout the year were three major biggest sporting events: Wimbledon, the Melbourne Cup, and the Australian Open. Following those are an eclectic array of hot topics and fads from throughout the year, including fidget spinners, North Korea, Apple’s iPhones, and rounding out the list at number 10, Amazon Australia.
The much-hyped launch of Amazon earlier this month caught headlines all year and came in at number three for most searched terms relating to news, beaten out only by Cyclone Debbie and North Korea.
1) Cyclone Debbie
2) North Korea
3) Amazon Australia site
4) Hurricane Irma
5) Bali volcano
6) London
7) Las Vegas
8) Manchester
9) UK election
10) Schapelle Corby
Google has also revealed the questions Aussies regularly ask Google, with the most common ‘how to…’ question being “how to make slime”. Slime became a phenomenon that took off this year on platforms such as YouTube, despite it being nothing more than a malleable Borax-based substance that can be moulded and squashed.
Still, the stuff dominated Australian’s ‘how to’ questions, with three other slime queries making the top 10: how to make ‘fluffy slime’; how to make slime without glue; and how to make slime without Borax. People bloody love slime.
Digital currency Bitcoin also featured in questions to google this year, capturing significant media attention after skyrocketing to a valuation of over $24,000. “How to buy Bitcoin” and “what is Bitcoin” ranked fifth and second on their respective lists.
Finally, some businesses and business-related issues popped up on the list of the most common ‘why is’ questions to Google, with number one on the list asking: “Why is Pandora shutting down?”. Pandora shut down earlier this year due to rocky times across the music streaming industry.
Iconic early-2000s online game Club Penguin also featured in the list after it announced it would shut down earlier this year, and Australia’s ongoing NBN and internet speed issues also snuck in, with “why is my internet so slow” featuring at number 10.
1) How to make slime
2) How to make a fidget spinner
3) How to make fluffy slime
4) How to watch Mayweather vs McGregor
5) How to buy Bitcoin
6) How to make slime without borax
7) How to use Snapchat map
8) How to unblock people on Instagram
9) How to make slime without glue
10) How to vote for gay marriage
1) What is MSG
2) What is Bitcoin
3) What is kimchi
4) What is a publican
5) What is covfefe
6) What is a fidget spinner
7) What is MSG and why is it bad
8) What is Sharia law
9) What is DACA
10) What is Good Friday
1) Why is Pandora shutting down
2) Why is Club Penguin shutting down
3) Why is Australia Day on 26 January
4) Why is it called Good Friday
5) Why is Nathan Lyon Garry
6) Why is my poop green
7) Why is Messenger crashing
8) Why is Snapchat down
9) Why is two up illegal
10) Why is my internet so slow
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Dominic Powell is a journalist at SmartCompany and a tech and music geek. When he’s not writing, you can find him reading or browsing record shops.
