'How to kiss' is among Britain's most-Googled terms
From how to translate 'I love you' to searching tips on how to kiss, mobile users are increasingly turning to Google for the answers to their romantic dilemmas.
How do you kiss? How do you say 'I love you in French'? These innocuously simple queries are among the most commonly Googled questions in Britain, as web users seek romantic advice where once they might have scoured agony aunt columns or asked a sage friend.
More than a quarter of 16 to 24-year olds search the internet for dating tips, while more than a third (34 per cent) have used it to research interesting topics before a date, according to new research commissioned by Google.
While it's hardly news that more of us than ever are using our mobiles and tablets to look up information - a quarter of the 2,138 respondents admitted to Googling while on the toilet - our increasing reliance on the internet to provide the answers to our romantic quandaries is faintly depressing.
Google's first results page for 'How to kiss' includes a YouTube video on how to kiss a stranger in 10 seconds, 'naughty tips and juicy secrets on how to kiss' from Cosmopolitan and an explanation on how to deal with a bad kisser from 'a guy who loves kissing'. The prevalence of such content aimed squarely at young girls is, some might argue, a demonstration of the failure to adequately teach pre-teens the ins and outs of early courtship - or, conversely, illustrates how the internet is a treasure trove of information for topics you might be too embarrassed to ask a fellow human.
But it's not just our love lives that trigger burning questions to Google - behind how to kiss, how to draw, crochet and knit are among the top 10 searches under 'how to'. There has been a resurgence of interest in traditional crafts in recent years, attributed to the recession as people sought out cheap and cheerful hobbies.
Britons have also used Google throughout 2014 to keep abreast of world events, with this summer's Ice Bucket Challenge driving many to seek out the meaning of ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known in the UK as motor neurone disease (MND). The current Ebola crisis caused the disease to register as the second most common 'what is...' search term.
Getting directions and checking the weather forecast were also extremely popular terms, alongside searching for information on places we are about to visit. But while 'I love you' was the most-Googled foreign translation phrase, the list wouldn't be complete without the dismissive 'shut up' to keep things on an even keel.
The top questions Britons have Googled throughout 2014:
How to...
1. Kiss
2. Draw
3. Crochet
4. Meditate
5. Knit
6. Twerk
7. Pronounce
8. Squat
9. Revise
10. Contour
What is...
1. ALS
2. Ebola
3. Love
4. Fracking
5. Gluten
6. Autism
7. Lupus
8. FGM
9. Anxiety
10. Instagram
Top mobile translations:
1. I love you
2. Thank you
3. How are you?
4. Good morning
5. Happy birthday
6. Can you ask your friend...
7. Glass of wine
8. Good luck
9. Shut up
10. My name is...
越來越多的手機用戶在面對愛情困境時向谷歌尋求答案,諸如怎樣翻譯“我愛你”乃至怎樣接吻。
怎樣接吻?怎么用法語說“我愛你”?這些天真又單純的問題是英國谷歌最熱門的搜索話題,網絡用戶將這些他們曾經傾向于找知心姐姐或者明智的好友尋求的忠告帶到網絡上。
谷歌的一份新的調查報告顯示,四分之一以上的16-24歲青年會搜索約會小貼士,三分之一以上的人(34%)在約會之前會用谷歌搜索有意思的話題。
盡管我們用手機或者平板尋找信息都不算是什么新聞了,在2138名受訪者中,超過四分之一的人會在上廁所時登陸谷歌,但我們正越來越依賴網絡回答我們的愛情難題,這不免讓人覺得有些沮喪。
用谷歌搜索“怎樣接吻”,第一頁的內容包括一個YouTube上怎樣在10秒內和一個陌生人接吻的視頻,關于接吻的二三事以及怎么對付一個喜歡接吻的糟糕接吻對象。有些人認為這種直接針對年輕女孩的現象如此流行顯示了年輕人缺乏求愛教育,或者從反面顯示了網絡才是尋求相關求愛信息的寶庫,畢竟直接去問別人這種問題是很尷尬的。
不過谷歌最熱門的搜索話題不只是求愛的問題——除了怎么接吻,怎么畫畫,用鉤針織物和編織衣物也屬于最熱門的十大“怎樣”話題。由于人們想找到物美價廉的愛好,近年來大眾對傳統(tǒng)手工藝的興趣似乎正在復蘇。
英國人還喜歡用谷歌了解世界大事的最新情況,譬如今年夏天的冰桶挑戰(zhàn),還有許多人搜索肌萎縮性側索硬化癥(Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,在英國更常被稱為運動神經元病,MND)。最近的埃博拉病毒危機是谷歌“什么是”檢索項的第二名。
找位置和查天氣也是谷歌非常熱門的檢索項,往往和我們將去旅行的目的地聯系在一起。不過盡管“我愛你”還是谷歌翻譯最熱門的詞組,榜單上也不乏像“閉嘴”這樣表示輕蔑的詞組以保持平衡。
英國2014年谷歌最熱門搜索詞匯:
怎樣
1.接吻
2.畫畫
3.用鉤針織物
4.冥想
5.編織衣物
6.扭臀舞
7.發(fā)音
8.深蹲
9.復習
10.畫等高線
什么是
1.肌萎縮性側索硬化癥
2.埃博拉病毒
3.愛
4.液壓破碎法
5.面筋
6.自閉癥
7.紅斑狼瘡
8.野戰(zhàn)制導導彈
9.焦慮
10.Instagram(一款圖片分享應用)
最熱手機翻譯:
1.我愛你
2.謝謝
3.你好嗎?
4.早上好
5.生日快樂
6.能不能問問你的朋友……
7.一杯酒
8.祝你好運
9.閉嘴
10.我的名字是……