To truly get to know someone, it’s not their social media that’s most interesting—it’s their internet history. What we Google often says more about us than what we like on Facebook. One reason for this is said to be that we place a great deal of trust in Google and therefore allow ourselves to be completely honest—sometimes even brutally honest.
Google has now released its annual list of search trends for Sweden (and the rest of the world) for 2019, so we thought we would take a closer look at the year that has passed. We want to clarify that this is not about the topics that were searched for the most, as many seem to believe. Instead, it’s about the topics that saw the greatest increase in search volume during 2019 compared to 2018.
What was searched for in Sweden during 2019?
Älska mig för den jag är
The gripping documentary about singer and actress Josefin Nilsson is what Swedes searched for the most on Google in 2019. This is hardly surprising, as the film has been immensely popular, widely covered, and heavily debated. An interesting detail is that the most common “how…” search was “How did Josefin Nilsson die,” which is most likely due to the documentary, even though the singer passed away in 2016.
iPhone 11
Following Apple’s launch of the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max earlier this fall, demand for the new phones has been high. An improved camera capable of taking great photos even in low light, along with a fast processor, seems to have appealed to consumers. Well done, Tim Apple!
Notre-Dame
The fire in the French cathedral that nearly destroyed one of Paris’ most iconic landmarks likely shocked many people in April. The aftermath, including fundraising efforts and reconstruction plans, has probably also contributed to this event placing third in Google’s search trends for the year.
Eurovision Song Contest
That the Eurovision Song Contest is heavily Googled every year in Sweden comes as no surprise. Unlike in 2018, however, Melodifestivalen no longer appears in the top 10, despite running for a large part of the year.
ASAP Rocky
For many Swedes, ASAP Rocky was likely completely unknown before 2019. After the American rapper was arrested in Stockholm during the summer, he had his big breakthrough here in Sweden—and on Google. Less well known is that searches for “cowboy stew,” “Boston squares,” and “skipper’s cod” also saw a significant spike during the week ASAP was reportedly enjoying these meals at Kronoberg detention center.
Ice Hockey World Championship
What can you say—world championships are always a big deal, especially in sports where Sweden excels (and football).
Störst av allt
If you missed the first Swedish-produced Netflix series “Störst av allt” (Quicksand), you still have something to look forward to. The series, based on Malin Persson Giolito’s novel of the same name, won over both critics and the Swedish public.
Greta Thunberg
The fact that Greta Thunberg did not trend more than she did in 2019 can be explained by the fact that many people in Sweden already knew who she was in 2018. Greta had an extraordinary year, capped off by being named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year 2019.
This is not fully reflected in our Google search behavior, however, as Greta only trended marginally compared to searches for “Paradise Hotel.” Greta eventually took the lead after September, coinciding with the climate summit in New York.
EU election
At times, it feels reassuring that we also Googled some important topics during the year. ASAP Rocky and the iPhone 11 aside, the EU election seems like something worth Googling before making a decision. It feels slightly less reassuring, however, that some of the most trending searches beginning with “What” and “How” were: “What should I vote for in the EU election?” and “How do you vote in the EU election?”
Sara Danius
Sara Danius became the tenth most Googled topic in 2019. The passing of the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy was widely reported both in Sweden and internationally.
Fun observations about how we Googled in 2019
Although this article focuses on the 10 most trending searches, there were many that did not make the list. We therefore wanted to include five “honorable mentions” that we found particularly amusing.
- In the United States, Baby Yoda was Googled more than the Kardashian children.
- People from northern Sweden and Halland topped searches for “What does Habibi mean?”
- “Why did Jeppe leave Paradise?” ranked second among searches starting with “why”.
- “What does NNN mean?” took an honorable fourth place among searches starting with “What…”.
- Two of the searches that trended in Sweden also appeared on the global trends list: iPhone 11 and Notre-Dame.
So there we have it—the year that has passed. With a certain sense of emptiness, we look back and wonder whether all these searches were really necessary. Like many in Sweden, we still ask ourselves why Jeppe actually left Paradise Hotel. Will Baby Yoda retain his popularity when there’s a new Kardashian out there? We can only hope that Google continues to give us accurate answers to these questions—and more important ones—throughout 2020.
