Google’s Year in Search Says a Lot About 2017

2017 has been an eventful year, and Google‘s just-released Year in Search roundup highlights all the highs and lows.

Here are the top five searches of the year:

1. Hurricane Irma
2. Matt Lauer
3. Tom Petty
4. Super Bowl
5. Las Vegas shooting

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Now, 4 out of 5 of those searches are pretty grim. (And even the Super Bowl was a sour note if you weren’t a Patriots fan.) They tell of a year shrouded in scandal, natural disaster and man-made disaster, though it is surprising that Matt Lauer beat out Harvey Weinstein for the top spot. It tells a tale of people betrayed by someone they brought into their homes on a daily basis, albeit through a television screen.

But there is hope to be found in the sad tale of 2017 that is this list: People want to get involved. People seek information. The public wants to inform itself. The conversations about change and moving forward are happening. In the wake of sexual assault scandals, we banded together to protect the workplace. After the Las Vegas shooting took the lives of 58 people, gun control and mental health were debated. Hurricane Irma spurred us to educate ourselves on different cultures and help those in need.

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There is still much change to be made, of course. But the important takeaway from this list is that people weren’t ignoring these big topics. People wanted to face them head-on. These topics weren’t being ignored, which means the future looks brighter.

Check out the full Year in Search from Google over on Google Trends.