If you have never seen Google Trends, it tracks the searches made on Google's web search. Google Trends can help us understand our culture. The website tracks what is of interest. There are two facets to this site: Google Trends and Hot Trends.
Google Trends
Google Trends can be an excellent way to examine how events that happened in different parts of the world can be examined. For instance take a search of Aristotle and Confucius. Google Trends will present how often the chosen terms have been searched and where they were searched. When discussing perspective, Google Trends could prove useful. As you can see in the picture below, Aristotle many more searches than Confucius. Does this make Confucius any less of a philosopher? What about the location of the searches?
Does it mean anything that even in the Philippines we find Aristotle to be searched higher than Confucius. This type of tool can be used to start discussions on point of view and perspective. While the search volume on Confucius is not as high, the news reference is almost equal at some points. Why is this? These are questions that Google Trends can help raise. It can be an interesting way to get your students to examine more deeply the questions of why the Western education and influence still has a strong grip on the world despite the effects of globalization.
Hot Trends
Hot Trends is a way to quickly take a look at what people are interested in. The page provides you with the top 100 searches of that particular day. For instance, today many people were searching the results of the Neil Entwistle trial.
The Hot Trends section gives the view a intimate look into what people in the United States or around the globe are searching. This is an excellent way to examine pop culture and discuss our culture and what influences our interests.
