Google has revealed the top search trends for 2022.
Among the top stats are that the most searched for film is Thor: Love and Thunder and the most searched TV series is HBO’s Euphoria. And the most common “how many” question asked in the UK is “how many cities are there in Wales?”.
Let’s take a look at the top 10 most-searched terms of 2022 in the UK, and the stories behind then. We’ll follow up with the global list. You can see more search-related stats over at Google’s Trends website.
10. Johnny Depp
The Depp vs Heard case took place in Virginia between April and June. Amber Heard was accused of defamation, following a 2018 opinion piece article published in the Washington Post in which she referred to domestic abuse within the relationship.
In June the jury sided with Depp, and Heard was ordered to pay $10 million in compensatory damages. The events under examination in the trial sparked endless debate about which party was more to blame.
9. Jeffrey Dahmer
Netflix released two major Jeffrey Dahmer series. The first was a dramatisation of the serial killer’s life called Dahmer – Monster, starring Evan Peters as Dahmer. This was followed up a week later by the documentary series Conversations With a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes.
Streaming saturation of the topic seems to have worked, earning “Jeffrey Dahmer” number nine on the list. The dramatisation has been viewed for over a billion hours, making it the third most popular Netflix series to date.
8. Quordle
A game made for people who just can’t get enough of Wordle, Quordle is just like the original but offers four words to uncover each day rather than one. For those who have never tried any of these word games, you have to find a five-letter word by making guesses. The game tells you when you get a letter right and when the letter is in the word but currently in the wrong place.
It is a simple concept but you only get limited guesses each day.
7. Russia
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. According to the latest figures published by Reuters, it has caused the displacement of 14 million people.
As of December 6, the UK Government has issued 204,900 visas to Ukranians under the family and sponsorship schemes, while 149,200 Ukranians have arrived in the UK under these schemes. These figures were published on the Home Office website.
6. Mason Greenwood
Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood was suspended in January following allegations he attacked a woman. These allegations were posted on her Instagram account.
In October the CPS authorised the Greater Manchester Police to charge Greenwood with attempted rape, assault and engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour.
5. Lateral flow test
In March Boris Johnson confirmed free lateral flow tests would no longer be available for the public to order online. This was part of the government’s “learning to live with Covid” plan, which ended legal restrictions related to Covid infections.
Travel restrictions had already been lifted by this point. Passenger locator forms and test for unvaccinated arrivals were scrapped on March 18.
4. Ukraine
Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky has been announced as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year 2022, for his leadership of the country during the Russia’s invasion.
The Ukrainian army has pushed back Russian forces in occupied areas including the city of Kherson. However, Putin has signalled the war could become a “long-term process”.
3. Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth II died onSeptember 8 at the age of 96. She was the longest-serving British monarch in history, with a reign that lasted longer than 70 years.
The state funeral was held on September 19 and was watched by an estimated 28 million people in the UK.
2. World Cup
In the World Cup 2022 so far, England has won three matches, against Iran, Wales and Senegal. It drew against the USA, secured its position in the quarter finals, and will play France on December 10. Wales drew against the USA, but lost to Iran.
This year’s World Cup has drawn attention for many of the wrong reasons, though. It is being held in Qatar, and there have been allegations of human rights violations and corruption. Homosexuality is illegal in the country, leading many to ask why the country was awarded hosting privileges in the first place.
1. Wordle
Wordle exploded at the tail end of 2021, given momentum by the masses of players who shared the results of their games on social media. You may know the drill already. You guess a five-letter word, and have six attempts to get it right. Wordle offers a new word each day.
The game was devised by Josh Wardle as something he could play with his partner. He sold Wordle to The New York Times in early 2022 for a reported “low seven-figure” sum.
The top 10 searches globally:
1. Wordle
2. India vs England
3. Ukraine
4. Queen Elizabeth
5. Ind vs SA
6. World Cup
7. India vs West Indies
8. iPhone 14
9. Jeffrey Dahmer
10. Indian Premier League
