Google searches in times of world crises offer incredible insights into our humanity
Google search data during global crises reveals a consistent human pattern of seeking information followed by taking action to help others. Despite perceptions of internet-driven isolation, search behavior shows widespread empathy and a desire for mutual aid. People frequently search for ways to assist strangers, pets, and communities affected by disasters, reflecting a deep-seated impulse toward compassion.
- ▪During crises like hurricanes, search trends shift from informational queries to action-oriented ones like 'how to calm a dog in a storm'.
- ▪After the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016, blood donation searches spiked by 1,550% across the U.S. as people sought ways to help.
- ▪In the aftermath of the 2023 Maui wildfires, the top donation-related search on Google was 'Maui fire donation'.
- ▪Searches for 'how to help someone with depression' have been the top query in the US and UK in the mental health category for the past decade.
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Opinion Google searches in times of world crises offer incredible insights into our humanity By Simon Rogers Published May 2, 2026, 12:00 p.m. ET We are constantly told that the internet has made us more isolated, polarized and selfish. But as a data editor at Google, my job is to glean insights from the mountain of search data, and I can tell you that the database of our actual intentions proves the exact opposite. It is arguably the biggest publicly available dataset in existence and can reasonably claim to represent humanity across the world. When disasters strike, human beings reliably follow a strict cognitive path — first, we seek to understand the threat, and second, we take action to help others. Our baseline setting in a crisis is compassion.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Opinion – Latest Op-Eds & News Commentary | New York Post.
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