'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(lái)越多的手機(jī)用戶在面對(duì)愛(ài)情困境時(shí)向谷歌尋求答案,諸如怎樣翻譯“我愛(ài)你”乃至怎樣接吻。
怎樣接吻?怎么用法語(yǔ)說(shuō)“我愛(ài)你”?這些天真又單純的問(wèn)題是英國(guó)谷歌最熱門的搜索話題,網(wǎng)絡(luò)用戶將這些他們?cè)?jīng)傾向于找知心姐姐或者明智的好友尋求的忠告帶到網(wǎng)絡(luò)上。
谷歌的一份新的調(diào)查報(bào)告顯示,四分之一以上的16-24歲青年會(huì)搜索約會(huì)小貼士,三分之一以上的人(34%)在約會(huì)之前會(huì)用谷歌搜索有意思的話題。
盡管我們用手機(jī)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(guò)四分之一的人會(huì)在上廁所時(shí)登陸谷歌,但我們正越來(lái)越依賴網(wǎng)絡(luò)回答我們的愛(ài)情難題,這不免讓人覺(jué)得有些沮喪。
用谷歌搜索“怎樣接吻”,第一頁(yè)的內(nèi)容包括一個(gè)YouTube上怎樣在10秒內(nèi)和一個(gè)陌生人接吻的視頻,關(guān)于接吻的二三事以及怎么對(duì)付一個(gè)喜歡接吻的糟糕接吻對(duì)象。有些人認(rèn)為這種直接針對(duì)年輕女孩的現(xiàn)象如此流行顯示了年輕人缺乏求愛(ài)教育,或者從反面顯示了網(wǎng)絡(luò)才是尋求相關(guān)求愛(ài)信息的寶庫(kù),畢竟直接去問(wèn)別人這種問(wèn)題是很尷尬的。
不過(guò)谷歌最熱門的搜索話題不只是求愛(ài)的問(wèn)題——除了怎么接吻,怎么畫(huà)畫(huà),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(jià)廉的愛(ài)好,近年來(lái)大眾對(duì)傳統(tǒng)手工藝的興趣似乎正在復(fù)蘇。
英國(guó)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(cè)索硬化癥(Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,在英國(guó)更常被稱為運(yùn)動(dòng)神經(jīng)元病,MND)。最近的埃博拉病毒危機(jī)是谷歌“什么是”檢索項(xiàng)的第二名。
找位置和查天氣也是谷歌非常熱門的檢索項(xiàng),往往和我們將去旅行的目的地聯(lián)系在一起。不過(guò)盡管“我愛(ài)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(guó)2014年谷歌最熱門搜索詞匯:
怎樣
1.接吻
2.畫(huà)畫(huà)
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(fù)習(xí)
10.畫(huà)等高線
什么是
1.肌萎縮性側(cè)索硬化癥
2.埃博拉病毒
3.愛(ài)
4.液壓破碎法
5.面筋
6.自閉癥
7.紅斑狼瘡
8.野戰(zhàn)制導(dǎo)導(dǎo)彈
9.焦慮
10.Instagram(一款圖片分享應(yīng)用)
最熱手機(jī)翻譯:
1.我愛(ài)你
2.謝謝
3.你好嗎?
4.早上好
5.生日快樂(lè)
6.能不能問(wèn)問(wèn)你的朋友……
7.一杯酒
8.祝你好運(yùn)
9.閉嘴
10.我的名字是……