What are Singaporeans looking forward to in 2022?
Using search listening to dig into what Singaporeans are Googling about the year ahead
Happy 2022 everyone!
To kickstart the new year, I thought it would be fun to delve into what Singaporeans are interested most about the year ahead by doing a topline look at some of the trending suggested searches on Google.
Common consensus was that 2021 was another tough year with Covid-19 restrictions still in place and two variants appearing in the course of the year.
People were also weighing if 2021 was any worst than the year before, likely with pandemic fatigue setting in and the situation didn’t seem to be improving, especially at the start of the year with major cluster outbreaks.
This lead many to probably wonder if 2022 would be a better year, and even hoping that Singapore would be Covid free. With the opening up of Singapore’s borders towards the tail end of last year, there might be hope that 2022 might hold much promise for all.
In case anyone thinks horoscopes are a thing of the past, Google searches prove otherwise with searches that run the gamut of different astrological signs (e.g. “will 2022 be a good year for scorpio”, “how 2022 will be for leo”).
Seeing how people are searching about exams, parents and students alike are probably keen to know if there are any changes to exam plans and wishfully hoping that exams would be cancelled (e.g. “could 2022 exams be cancelled”).
Sporting events ranked highly in Google’s Year in Search for 2021, so it comes as no surprise that people were also searching about next year’s World Cup. More specifically, many wondered if the 2022 World Cup would be moved. Continuing the observation from 2021, it looks like sporting events will continue to trend pretty widely in 2022 as well.
People were also concerned about weddings and were searching for advice on planning their wedding in 2022, especially since there are stringent safe distancing measures in place for weddings and events.
On the contrary, there were also searches on whether couples should cancel their wedding or if it would be wiser to postpone it altogether.
Aside from weddings, other major milestones include big ticket purchases such as buying a house and a car (e.g. “should you buy a house in 2022”, “should you buy a car in 2022”).
Searches on “should you book a holiday for 2022” and “should you travel in 2022” suggest that many are itching to travel abroad but might be facing some travel hesitancy. With destination countries having different Covid-19 regulations, some might find it a hassle to travel altogether and prefer to wait out the situation a bit longer.
Above all, some remain optimistic and hopeful that 2022 will be a better year. People were seeking reassurance on what the new year will bring (e.g. “what 2022 has in store”, “what 2022 will bring”).
Hopefully, these observations have been useful in providing some insight into what the crowd is looking for in this new year. Here’s wishing you a prosperous and joyful new year. And may 2022 turn out to be a great year for you. :)
