On social networks, everyone seems to be sure. Sharp opinions, absolute truths, unshakable postures. Digital has become a war field where each defends their bubble, repeats speeches and builds an identity full of convictions. But is this whole certainty real? We really stop having doubts?
It is there, in the silence of Google searches, that the doubts that nobody admits appears, the fears that do not fit in a motivational post, the questions that deny the certainties displayed in the feed. If in networks people look like experts in everything, on Google they still try to understand the basics or deal with their doubts, fears and convictions. If we want to better understand what people think, we need to look less at what they post – and more what they are looking for. And the data show that.
In 2024, the content of professional success that grew fastest growing in Linkedin and Instagram was entrepreneurshipwith high 38% year against year. But O: Brazil was the third country that most researched “how to make money without working”while the term “Entrepreneurship” fell 7% in searches volume.
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At the same time, the search for “public tender” grew up 15%becoming the 3rd most searched term in the jobs categorybehind only “Employment” and “Curriculum”. The question “Where to study for the contest?” had an increase in 740% in 12 months,
Also growing searches for financial shortcuts and extra income, reflecting economic insecurity. The interest in “freelancer” rose 17% to 80% In the last five years, while “Extra income” over 8% to 11% e “Passive income” from 1% to 3%showing a growing desire for alternative sources of income.
The opposition between search and discourse is evident: while on Instagram and Youtube proliferate images of success – young people “CEOs” of themselves and influencers sporting wealth – Google records record for the second year followed by terms such as terms how “How to make money fast”, “How to get out of debt” e “How to save no market”. In networks, the narrative is aspirational, celebrating investments and startups; on Google, the concern is practice: Pass a contest, get a job or get extra money. The data show a more honest portrait of economic ambitions, often concealed in timelines.
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This contradiction is repeated in other areas. “Love”, “Casal Life”, “Eternal Love” and #casalfeliz They hit peak mentions in 2024, but on Google the searches “How do I know if I’m being betrayed?” e “How to check the partner’s WhatsApp” They were among the most made in the same year. In politics, the 2022 elections brought extreme polarization on the networks, but on Google the most asked questions were “What is communism?”, “What is democracy?”, “What was the military dictatorship?” “What is military intervention”, “What is STF” e “Why was Lula arrested?”. While in networks ideological certainties multiplied, in the anonymous search people tried to understand the basic concepts of the debate. Google works as a didactic and silentwhile social networks boil in real time.
In the world of health and well-being, the differences between what is put and what is sought are glaring. Brazil breaks records of mentions in the fitness universe, with an average growth of 22% per year in digital conversations. Social networks are full of texts on Consistency, ruled diet and selfies at the gymBut, no Google, to 10th research most done in 2023 was “Quick Weight Loss Diet”. The interest in “How to look thin” grew up 720%and almost all states recorded peaks of search for Fast weight loss, miraculous diets and intermittent fasting – With one detail: it happens after 10pm and at dawn. While public discourse focuses on balance and self -care, the data show that, in the privacy of the search, many people seek extreme solutions.
Never researched so much for “Self -care” Like in recent years, but what’s behind this movement? While on Instagram and Tiktok a hashtag #Selfcare and influencers promote impeccable routines of skincare and relaxation, in Google the reality is different: the most frequent searches are linked to Burnout, anxiety and insomnia. The interest in “How to Sleep Better” grew up 42% in one yearwhile “sintomas de burnout” fired in more than 70%. If on social networks the self -care looks like a light and organized lifestyle, on Google it emerges as a rescue request.
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What does this data show? That the internet is far from being a faithful mirror of what we think. And that you, like me, no longer need to be scared to see absolute certainties popping up on the networks, as if only you have doubts about life, work or future. The truth is that we follow insecure – but we learn that we can be vulnerable to a blank screen, because a Google search does not judge us, it does not expose us, it does not make us look less intelligent.
Social networks are showcases where we show who we would like to be and certainly, a little of what we are. Google, on the other hand, is the confessional where we reveal our greatest vulnerability. At the end of the day, no one lies to Google – neither you.
So, what did you research today?
