The year we searched

how to heal

This was a year of rebuilding for so many. The intense grief and loneliness felt around the world, as well as the pain of ongoing inequity, have become lasting reminders of how much we need each other, not just for comfort and support, but to face challenges that require our collective action to solve. This year’s Google Search trends reveal the various ways—big and small, tender, awkward, inspiring, and hopeful—that the world searched, more than ever before, for healing.

An illustration of the number “2021,” with the outer edges of the numbers gray and showing sad, broken scenes. A magnifying glass held over the middle of the numbers reveals colorful, vibrant scenes of people living their lives.
Cover art by Armando Veve