Google search records have revealed the digital divide between America’s richest and poorest.A decade of search terms have been analysed to find out which words are most-likely to be searched for by those living in the toughest and easiest places to live – as determined by wealth, life expectancy and other factors.
More than a quarter of the top 20 search terms in the ‘easiest’ areas were related to digital cameras.
The list also included the terms iPad application, baby massage and dollar conversion.
Other seemingly random entries included 2001 Ben Stiller movie Zoolander and Dutch pop group Vengaboys.
Some of the search terms in the poorer areas were related to religion.
They included antichrist, the rapture and go to heaven.
A high proportion of search terms were for guns, while health concerns also made the top 20 list.
Search terms relating to health included; ways to lower blood pressure, severe itching and free diabetic.
The analysis was carried out by The New York Times’ data blog The Upshot.
Search terms which appeared in equal measure in both lists were removed.
Analysing the results, author David Leonhardt said: “In the hardest places to live – which include large areas of Kentucky, Arkansas, Maine, New Mexico and Oregon – health problems, weight-loss diets, guns, video games and religion are all common search topics.
“The dark side of religion is of special interest.”
He added: “In the easiest places to live, the Canon Elph and other digital cameras dominate the top of the correlation list.
“Apparently, people in places where life seems good, including Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming and much of the large metropolitan areas of the Northeast and West Coast, want to record their lives in images.”