The Map of American State Stereotypes Produces Negative Results
Cody Turner — September 16, 2012 — Pop Culture
References: blog.noupsi.de & neatorama
The Map of American State Stereotypes generated by Google’s autocomplete tool takes a look at what the most searched results are for “Why is [State] so…?” The results were all surprisingly negative.
Put together by Renee DiResta, an associate at O’Reilly AphaTech Ventures, DiResta wanted to find out what Americans thought of people in other American states. What she discovered was an interesting amount of negative biases that showed up in most search results.
Keywords like bad, crazy, dangerous, boring, racist, stupid, weird and trashy were amongst the most searched descriptors for these American states. “Boring” was the single most common result, showing up in 18 different states.
Other popular search terms were expensive, humid and liberal, while Pennsylvania and Connecticut both came up as “haunted.”
Put together by Renee DiResta, an associate at O’Reilly AphaTech Ventures, DiResta wanted to find out what Americans thought of people in other American states. What she discovered was an interesting amount of negative biases that showed up in most search results.
Keywords like bad, crazy, dangerous, boring, racist, stupid, weird and trashy were amongst the most searched descriptors for these American states. “Boring” was the single most common result, showing up in 18 different states.
Other popular search terms were expensive, humid and liberal, while Pennsylvania and Connecticut both came up as “haunted.”
Trend Themes
1. Negative State Search Words - Conducting a sentiment analysis of state-related search words could reveal negative biases and facilitate discussion on cultural stereotyping.
2. Google Autocomplete Tool Insights - Utilizing Google's autocomplete tool can provide insights into consumer sentiment and potential market opportunities.
3. Stereotyping in Online Search Behavior - Examining stereotypes reflected in online search behavior highlights the need for greater awareness and education around cultural biases.
Industry Implications
1. Market Research - Incorporating search engine data in market research can provide valuable insights into consumer preferences and behavior.
2. Digital Advertising - Using Google's autocomplete tool can offer valuable targeting know-how for digital advertisements.
3. Social Media Monitoring - Monitoring search engine queries provides a useful tool for social media monitoring, identifying potential areas of controversy or negative sentiment.
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