Want to be one of the most searched items online? Be a technological wonder, a celebrity with a fascinating personal life, or a deceased terrorist. Those pointers come from Yahoo!, which just released its annual list of the top 10 most-searched items.
The iPhone topped the list, which is a bit surprising considering the technology isn’t exactly newfangled. But with the new 4S model, the passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs, the introduction of Siri to society and the fact that the smartphones are now available from a variety of phone carriers means that even four years after it hit the market, people are still talking about the iPhone.
Another route to top searches is infamy, of either the terrorist variety (we’re looking at you, Osama bin Laden) or of the accused-of-a-grisly-crime sort. When a jury found Casey Anthony not guilty in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, people ran to their search engines for the verdict. On the more positive side of the human behavior spectrum, people searched for information about Japan’s earthquake and tsunami looking to help, or at least to commiserate.
(MORE: Casey Anthony Was Most-Searched News Story in 2011)
If you’re a celebrity (and who’s not these days?) having a tumultuous private life seems to guarantee a spot on at least this list. Kim Kardashian’s quickie marriage and divorce to NBA player Kris Humphries earned the reality star the number three spot on the list. Similarly, Jennifer Lopez’s marital woes with singer Marc Antony and her return to the spotlight in American Idol (also on the list) earned her a spot in the top 10. Lindsay Lohan’s frequent trips to court and Katy Perry’s on-and-off camera wardrobe, antics, and nuptials had fans and detractors searching for the latest news. As for Jennifer Aniston, since we assume people are no longer looking for images of “The Rachel” haircut from Friends, it’s safe to say that her love life (she’s dating Justin Theroux, folks), pregnancy rumors (she’s not pregnant), and her comedic turn in the film Horrible Bosses have people rushing to their search engines.
Looks like the only way to get NewsFeed in the running for 2012 is if we marry a Kardashian.