Department of Data

Here’s what Americans want to kill, according to Google

A deep dive into Google Search data led us on a somewhat disturbing journey into the American psyche.

7 min
A cicada enjoys the view from a blueberry plant in Germantown, Md., in June 2021. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)
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If you’re the tiniest bit curious about your fellow humans, we bet that when you type the first part of a phrase into Google, you can’t resist waiting a millisecond see what suggestions appear in the all-seeing search box. It’s usually goofy, confusing or sad. But every once in a while, Google Search shakes your soul.

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