cRANKy™
Most Popular Search Terms for 2006
Top cRANKy Categories
Top Alternative Health Searches in 2006
cRANKy commentary
Reiki, a Japanese technique promoting stress reduction and healing through laying on hands, consistently led all alternative health searches, with more than 5½ times as many inquiries as yoga. Other disciplines that use massage for healing, like reflexology and shiatsu, also made the Top 10.
Demonstrating how widely they are taken seriously, alternative health approaches were searched in cRANKy as often as conventional medical practices. Eons members focused on holistic disciplines that promote healing, pain management, stress reduction, and fitness.
Top Entertainment Searches in 2006
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The star of HBO’s Big Love, Bill Paxton, topped cRANKy’s Entertainment searches in 2006. The series portrays the lives of a polygamist, his wives, and their children. Other current performers who appealed to our 50-plus community included Jane Seymour, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, movie critic Roger Ebert, and tennis great and activist Billie Jean King.
Old TV shows were hot searches, too, led by Ed Sullivan and I Love Lucy. The deaths of prominent people, including naturalist Steve Irwin and former Olympic champion Bob Mathias, stimulated searches for their obituaries and stories about their lives.
Top Finances Searches of 2006
cRANKy commentary
cRANKy searchers were not ready to stop working, but they were poring over options for restructuring their employment. Together, "Work From Home" and "Jobs After Retirement" comprised more than 55% of the top searches in Finances.
The hot search term of "Retirement Coaching" indicates that the 50-plus community wants expert advice to help them prepare for retirement. It beckons to Eons members and worries them at the same time. "Early Social Security" and "Saving for Retirement" were firmly in the Top 10, but the strength of "Jobs After Retirement" shows that people no longer define retirement as the end of employment.
Top Health / Disease Searches in 2006
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Do I weigh too much? Fully half of the health and disease searches were on "Body Mass Index," a scientific calculation that provides an objective answer to that age-old question. Most of us want to reduce, but having a research-based standard that defines what constitutes the right weight puts the focus on the health implications, not just appearances or fashion.
"Arthritis" was the most-searched disease. A growing problem for over-50s, it interferes with the active life Eons members are determined to continue. Arthritis draws intense interest because those who have it have so many decisions to make about its treatment, from exercise and medications to alternative therapies and joint replacement surgery.
Top Hearth & Home Searches in 2006
cRANKy commentary
"Homesharing" intrigued cRANKy searchers; many of them investigated the practice of unrelated people sharing a home so they can continue in private residences as they age. More than a third of all housing searches were on "Homesharing," an increasingly popular option for people to deal with both financial pressures and infirmities that might otherwise force them into institutional living arrangements.
Meanwhile, back on the home front, "Retirement Communities" has proven to be one of the fastest-gaining searches. Moving to places that offer both support and stimulation has had particular appeal, leading to searches on "Aging in Place," college-linked retirement, and best places to retire. Searching on "Snowbirds" has shown that many people hope to hang onto their current residences while spending winters in a pied-à-terre in Florida or Arizona.
Top Hobbies / Fitness Searches of 2006
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The three-fold challenge of "Triathlon" inspired twice as many searches as the next most popular hobbies and fitness topic, "Fishing." The combination of swimming, bicycling, and distance running was the most demanding of the physical activities on the list, and inquiries ranged from the distances covered to training regimens for beginners.
"Fishing" led the more traditional pastimes, with "Birding" and "Golf" also drawing substantial interest. Searchers frequently asked about the "Health Benefits of Walking" and other favorite activities, demonstrating their desire to have their activities contribute to wellness and longevity.
Ones to Watch in 2007
cRANKy commentary
The top cRANKy search term of all for 2006? "Brain Builders." The 50-plus community is determined to stay mentally sharp, and games and puzzles are an entertaining and painless way to do so. Other searches also integrate stimulating our minds and imaginations into the fabric of our daily lives. These include "Stephen King " and other authors, as well as "Elderhostel" programs that combine travel, socializing, and learning.
Ones to Watch includes the top search topics that just took off once they were first introduced in cRANKy. Whether they were first mentioned in an Eons article, group, or in searches by a few members, these hugely popular topics consistently inspired additional searches by our community. They came from the fields of technology, friendship, romance, and work. They demonstrate the lively interaction between cRANKy and those who use it to search the Web and enhance their lives.
Top Relationships Searches in 2006
cRANKy commentary
Searchers on Eons are determined to invigorate their social networks. "Make New Friends" accounted for more than 35% of inquiries about relationships. As reflected in other search categories, the 50-plus community is undergoing changes in the workplace, residential arrangements, and social life, so developing friendships emerges as a high priority.
The hottest relationship search of the year has been "Online Dating." Eons members who are looking for serious relationships are investigating the benefits of using technology to help them find that special someone while managing their busy lives. "Marriage," "Dating," and "Online Dating" collectively represent more than 42% of searches on relationships.
Top Travel Spots Searches in 2006
cRANKy commentary
Whether by car, plane, train, or boat, Eons search users want to visit all the 50 states. They searched for "Visit All 50 U.S. States" 3½ times more often than the next most popular term, "Hawaii." cRANKy, the first age-relevant search engine, provided additional support for the idea that "See the USA" was the 50+ travel mantra, as Las Vegas and Graceland rounded out the top four.
The hottest up-and-coming foreign destination was Mongolia; Eons members had 2½ times more interest in Mongolia than in China or Italy. The luxury of all-inclusive vacationing also appealed to many searchers, as Caribbean cruises and Club Med both made the Top 10.
Top Web 101 Searches in 2006
cRANKy commentary
Eons members can’t wait to blog. They searched on "Blogs" more than 8½ times as often as any other technology topic. They asked what blogs are, what they’re for, and how to start them. And as they figured it out, they set up blogs on Eons and posted thousands of messages.
The 50-plus community is also concerned about security and privacy when they’re using the Internet. "Computer virus" was the next most frequent technology search, and "Computer Crime" also made the Top 10.
