Google releases 2011 Zeitgeist, shows 'spirit of the times'

zeitgest

Google has released the 2011 edition of its Year-End Zeitgeist, which features the top queries among the billions made by the world’s netizens to the search engine giant.

Being the world’s most popular search engine, Google’s Zeitgeist provides a glimpse of what was popular across the globe and in particular countries.

Worldwide, queries regarding US pop singer Rebecca Black, who gained media attention with her single “Friday,” is this year’s Fastest Rising search.

According to Google, searches for “Rebecca Black” and related searches like “Rebecca Black Friday” jumped to over 10,000% between 2010 and 2011, making then 13-year old pop singer the #1 fastest rising search on Google in 2011.

Searches regarding Black peaked in March 20, two weeks after the release of “Friday”. The song has given Black celebrity status after the release of its video, which has received over 167 million views on YouTube.

Following Black, other searches that belong to the top-ten worldwide is Google+; “Jackass” daredevil Ryann Dunn; Casey Anthony who was accused of killing her two-year old daughter but was later acquitted, the game Battlefield 3; the Apple iPhone 5; pop star Adele; the Fukushima Nuclear plant disaster; the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs; and finally, the Apple iPad 2.

Meanwhile, here in the Philippines, popular game Angry Birds has garnered the top spot as the fastest rising query for this year while social networking site Facebook was hailed as the top searched.

Jessie J’s Price Tag and Bruno Mars’ Lazy Song has made it into the Fastest Rising searches as well as “planking,” the meme-turned-protest action used during student protests in the middle of the year.

Fastest Rising Search

Angry Birds
Facebook
Price tag lyrics
Friv
movies 2011
YouTube
Lazy Song
planking
Dragon’s Nest

10. Miss Universe 2011

The number of Filipinos asking Google for love advice seems to have increased this year, with “quotes about love” and “pick-up lines” being among the top searched.

Top Searches

facebook
aj perez
youtube
airphil
cash cash pinoy
gameclub.ph
quotes about love
pinoy TV
pick-up lines

10. ensogo Philippines

Tragic events are highlighted in the category Rising People, which include actor AJ Perez who died in a car accident and former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Angelo Reyes who committed suicide following scandals in the AFP.

Fastest Rising People

AJ Perez
Mario Maurer
Bruno Mars
Rebecca Black
Shamcey Supsup
Manny Pacquiao
Steve Jobs
Angelo Reyes
Selena Gomez

10. Andi Eigenmann

Meanwhile, Filipinos have used Google to look up news information regarding the postponement of elections and the ongoing peace negotiations in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), making it the Fastest Rising Local News. Also in the category are the storms Chedeng and Pedring, Football and the Philippine Azkals, and the continuing debate on reproductive health.

Fastest Rising Local News

Autonomous Region
Panay Electric
Football Federation
Armed Forces
PBA Trades
Azkals news
Typhoon Chedeng
Spratlys News
Typhoon Pedring

10. Reproductive Health

People in the midst of various controversies are this year’s Fastest Rising Local News Makers which is lead by former Batangas governor Antonio Leviste as Filipinos followed the story of his sleep-out privileges. Also included in the category are Former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, Davao Mayor Sara Duterte.

Fastest Rising Local News Makers

Antonio Leviste
Ernesto Diokno
Mayor Reynaldo Uy
Sen. Panfilo Lacson
Ramon Credo
Merceditas Guitierrez
Andal Ampatuan
Heidi Mendoza
Mayor Sara Duterte

10. Elizabeth Batain

In sports, Boxing Champion Manny Pacquiao leads the pack of Fastest Rising Local Sports Figures. The sports icon’s bout against “Sugar” Shane Mosley is also included in the Global Fastest Rising Search in Sports and in the country’s Top Sporting Events.

Fastest Rising Local Sports Figure