The 2010s in trends: How Google defines a decade

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Tuesday, December 31, 2019
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Peace signs and protests define our view of the 1960s. The 1980s are the years of big hair and Madonna, and when we think about the 90s, it's grunge, plaid and Nirvana.

How will the 2010s go down in history?

As the second decade of the 21st century comes to a close, it's difficult from our 2019 perspectives to predict how our children and our children's children will embrace this time.

Will they impersonate us by dancing to "Gangnam Style," playing Pokemon Go, or planking? Will we be remembered by the celebrities who made headlines, like the Kardashians and Jenners, or the celebrities we lost, like Robin Williams and Anthony Bourdain? Will divisive politics define our times, or will our social movements, like Occupy Wall Street and #MeToo, make history?

While the 2010s, unfortunately, didn't give us DeLoreans that can go to the future, we have some insight into how we defined ourselves.

Our Google searches tell a story of what piqued our interests, what stood out to us and resonated in real-time.

Check out the interactive feature below for highlights in trends from the past 10 years! Note: Each slide features that given year's Pantone color.

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