Search query data reveals real-world events before traditional media does

Evidence

Google’s declared state of exception was the backdrop for 2002, the watershed year during which surveillance capitalism took root. The firm’s appreciation of behavioral surplus crossed another threshold that April, when the data logs team arrived at their offices one morning to find that a peculiar phrase had surged to the top of the search queries: “Carol Brady’s maiden name.” Why the sudden interest in a 1970s television character? It was data scientist and logs team member Amit Patel who recounted the event to the New York Times, noting, “You can’t interpret it unless you know what else is going on in the world.” — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 233

Categorization

• CANDY: The Carol Brady’s maiden name trivia spike is a memorable, shareable anecdote.
• XREF: connects to: Search queries yield collateral behavioral data beyond the key words themselves — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 208; Search query data predicts events and trends faster than traditional media — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 235; Search query spikes track broadcast schedules across US time zones in real time — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 234 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Search query spikes track broadcast schedules across US time zones in real time #expands (0.85) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 234
• Real-world dramatic events outside the lab trigger media priming effects on presidential evaluation #exemplifies (0.75) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1564