By Eron Henry
In a provocatively titled book, Everybody Lies, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz asserts that Big Data and the Internet reveal who we really are, despite claims we make to the contrary.
He, for instance, indicated that while opinion polls pointed to a big Hillary Clinton win in the 2016 United States presidential election, he and other data scientists saw a clear and discernible trend toward Donald Trump. Data scientists also know that Americans are way more racist than is commonly acknowledged. And while racism is present through the entire country, the real divide is east (more racist) and west (less racist). Not south and north, respectively, as is commonly believed.
The 2016 American elections made more obvious what Internet billionaires know. Big Data is gold, and the Internet is the primary source of that gold. Amazon, Google and Facebook are all built on Big Data and are getting bigger because of Big Data. The first is the behemoth in ecommerce, the second the colossus in search and the third the titan in social media.
So, with the Internet such an important tool to discover and unearth facts, what does it say about Jamaicans? As the island opens up following the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, I was especially curious about what Jamaicans did the last 90 days, roughly the same period as the restrictions due to coronavirus. Some things were surprising, others not. I also learned stuff I never knew before.
According to Google, the five most widely searched topics in Jamaica the last 90 days are, in order, Curfew, Google Classroom, Zoom Video Communications, Mother’s Day Celebration and Cubit. That last one stumped me. Had no idea what it referred to as I know cubit to be an ancient system of measurement no longer used. Google Classroom and Zoom Video Communications reflected the move online for school and business activities. Other top search topics included mask at number eight, and orthocoronavirinae at 10, suggesting Jamaicans sought information on the disease and the means to protect themselves.
Search queries, as distinct from search topics, indicate precise searches. Topics incorporate a wide range of search terms whereas queries are the exact words users type into the search browser. Of the top 10 search queries by Jamaicans, variations of the wecare.gov.jm website appeared six times. Jamaicans spent a lot of time exploring or learning about government assistance due to coronavirus.
The third most search query was George Floyd, the African American man killed by a Minneapolis police officer with a knee to the neck and whose death sparked national and global protests. “Covid 19 cases in Jamaica” rounded out the top five.
What videos were Jamaicans into during Covid-19 lockdown? At the time of writing, the top five YouTube search topics were, in order, Don’t Rush, a song by Kelly Clarkson, the American rapper 6ix9ine, Breaking News, Ocean and Barbie Film Series. I have no idea what Ocean refers to. Is it the song by Lady Antebellum (er, Lady A)? Jamaicans watching videos about the Pacific, Atlantic? And I was surprised Jamaicans are into watching videos about Barbie.
The top five YouTube search queries? Remember, queries are the exact words and the exact way people type into the search browser. All search queries were in the lowercase (common letters): breaking news dexta daps; beenie man vs bounty killer; if loving you is wrong 2020; masicka grandfather; and george floyd. I subsequently learned that Breaking News is a song by Dexta Daps and Grandfather another song by Masicka. Never heard of either man.
What websites do Jamaicans normally visit? According to Alexa, an Amazon company, the top 10 most visited websites by Jamaicans overall are, in order, Google, YouTube, Yahoo, Amazon, Facebook, Bongacams, Bing, Zoom, Scotiabank and Live.com. Turns out Bongacams is a porn website based in the Netherlands.
Eron Henry is an ordained minister, public speaker, writer, editor and traveler. He is principal of the communications consultancy, Eron Henry & Associates. His novel, Reverend Mother, is available on Amazon. He can be reached at eronhenry2@gmail.com