The Year 2022 in Review

This is the time to recap the year that was. And what a year it was.

There are a number of ways to do it, many that are interesting. You can look at a year in terms of notable deaths, viral events, political rises and falls, etc.

But how do you really get a 12-month snapshot of a culture’s zeitgeist?

I would argue for two words: Google searches.

I’m not saying that this will be what historians will mark in 10, much less 100 years… even less what is most significant. But I will say that it may be the clearest window into our current soul.

So here we go with a few peeks into our inner world in 2022, courtesy of Google itself.

Top 10 Searches:

1. Wordle 
2. Election Results
3. Betty White
4. Queen Elizabeth
5. Bob Saget
6. Ukraine
7. Mega Millions
8. Powerball Numbers
9. Anne Heche
10. Jeffrey Dahmer

Top 10 News Story Searches:

1. Election Results
2. Queen Elizabeth Passing
3. Ukraine
4. Powerball Numbers
5. Hurricane Ian
6. Monkeypox
7. Texas School Shooting
8. Will Smith Oscars
9. Johnny Depp Verdict
10. Roe v Wade
 
Top 10 “What is…” Searches:

1. What is NATO?
2. What is Monkeypox?
3. What is RSV?
4. What is Wordle?
5. What is aphasia?
6. What is a NFT?
7. What is a recession?
8. What is vabbing?
9. What is Roe v Wade?
10. What is the Wordle today?

And finally, the Top 10 People Searches: 

1. Johnny Depp
2. Will Smith
3. Amber Heard
4. Antonio Brown
5. Kari Lake
6. Anna Sorokin (Delvey)
7. Chris Rock
8. Andrew Tate
9. Adam Levine
10. Serena Williams

Welcome to our world.

James Emery White

Sources

See the “Year in Search 2022” for the United States, Google, read online. 

Jordan Mendoza, “What Did We Search for in 2022? Wordle, Johnny Depp Highlight Google's Top US Trends of Year,” USA Today, December 7, 2022, read online.

About the Author

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book After “I Believe” is now available on Amazon or your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org, where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on X, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.