As 2022 kicks into its first week, it’s a good time to reflect on what was on our minds in 2021. Many searched for “how to be” articles on Google in 2021. The top five searches of the year include one with a financial emphasis and four more in the self-help, New Year’s Resolution type of categories. The top “how to be” searches in Google Trends for 2021 are:
- How to be eligible for a stimulus check
- How to be more attractive
- How to be happy alone
- How to be a baddie
- How to be a good boyfriend
How to be eligible for a stimulus check
The search for stimulus check eligibility peaked in March of 2021 and became barely a blip on the radar as the year progressed.
The federal government’s third round of stimulus checks, part of President Biden’s “American Rescue Plan,” began hitting mailboxes and bank accounts in mid-March. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reported that it had distributed 171 million third-stimulus-check payments totaling more than $400 billion by the end of July 2021.
How to be more attractive
The “how to be more attractive” search on Google reached its peak in April of last year but became hot again the first week of December. (Spring Fever and Christmas Parties? Who’s to say?)
The top site for this search term is a Wikihow webpage, complete with pictures to help people become the “more attractive” version of themselves.
Some of the advice on this page includes getting rid of negative thoughts, showing your best qualities, and improving your skin through regular exercise.
How to be happy alone
One, after all, is the loneliest number that you will ever do, at least according to Three Dog Night. Loneliness hit its search peak in January of 2021 but popped up again both in September and in the last week of December.
The top hit on Google lands on a Healthline.com page and gives 20 lessons on how to be your own best friend.
“Regardless of how you feel about being alone, building a good relationship with yourself is a worthy investment,” the story purports. “After all, you do spend quite a bit of time with yourself, so you might as well learn to enjoy it.”
How to be a baddie
To become a “baddie,” one must know what a “baddie” is. The ever-popular Urban Dictionary described the term thusly: “A baddie is a girl who is super attractive. She slays whether she’s wearing a tight dress or sweatpants.”
Tight dress and sweatpants aside, the top story on Google for the baddie moniker is a blog post on Jacketmaker.com. Among some of the baddie-seeking advice is:
- Take care of yourself in terms of grooming and hygiene.
- Adopt a confident, self-loving attitude.
- Follow the latest trends in fashion that look good on you.
How to be a good boyfriend
Sorry, ladies, this one is mainly for the fellas. This search term reached its 2021 crescendo two weeks after Valentine’s Day – whoops – and popped up again with might in mid-June, the beginning of October, and, finally, again last week as New Year’s Resolutions entered the chat.
HelloRelish yields the top story when conducting the boyfriend search and gives 20 nuggets of wisdom for men to better themselves. Some of the highlights are:
- Listen and let them vent
- Cook a weeknight meal
- Do your part around the house
- Surprise them every once in a while
- Learn to apologize
Valentine’s Day 2022 is just over a month away, gentlemen; study up and do right.
