As it turns out, the EuroMaidan protest wasn't the most important Internet topic for Ukrainians in 2013. Google search statistics shows they were much more eager to find the latest episodes of favorite TV shows and discover the details of a gang rape.
These questions were among the most frequent Internet searches, according to Google Zeitgeit 2013. The annual rating, made by Google Ukraine, shows the most popular search requests made by Ukrainians during the year.
Ukrainians’ passion for the TV shows, movies and soap operas surpassed all expectations. The sixth season of Ukrainian TV series “Svaty” (“Matchmakers”) was the most popular search request in 2013.
According to the research, one of the most important trends is that Ukrainians showed bigger interest in local events, than in global. For example, they intensively looked for information about the gang rape that happened in Vradiyivka in June, putting it in the fourth place in the list of top events of the year.
At the same time, Ukrainians’ interest for politics is surprisingly small, according to Google Zeitgeit 2013.
“People are interested in EuroMaidan less than in Eurovision,” CEO of Google Ukraine Dmitry Sholomko says.
Proving his words, EuroMaidan was ninth most-searched event of the year, while Eurovision 2013 took the first place.
According to the research, Ukrainians show big interest in technologies. They want to know what is Instagram and 3G. And the most popular purchases of the year were Lenovo k900 smartphone and iPhone 5.
Weird and philosophical questions popped up too in the research. In 2013 Ukrainians asked Google “Why am I an idiot?”, “Why do mosquitoes die?” and even, “Why am I a shampoo?” Among the most popular requests, the research also showed “what is love” or “what is default” and “how to please men.”
Ukrainians keep using Russian language for the search, says Google Ukraine. The only Ukrainian-language request that made it to the top was “manners.”
The most popular requests:
1. Matchmakers-6
2. Movies 2013
3. Bachelor – 3 (Ukrainian reality TV show)
4. Sila. Homecoming (Turkish soap opera, broadcast by Ukrianian TV)
5. Roksolana. Magnificent Century (Turkish soap opera, broadcast by Ukrianian TV)
6. Eurovision 2013
7. Furious 6
8. Klychko Povetkin
9. Ironman 3
10. Meteorite in Chelyabinsk
Event of the year
1. Eurovision 2013
2. Klychko Povetkin fight
3. Meteorite in Chelyabinsk
4. Vradiyivka
5. New Pope
6. Chaves died
7. Snowden
8. Putin divorce
9. EuroMaidan
10. Hurricane in Odessa
What is…
1. …love
2. …Instagram
3. …swag
4. …IMHO
5. …default
6, …3g
7. …cash
8. …happiness
9. …repost
10. …manners
