Those searches, in turn, have given marketers a way to reach parents with relevant messages in their time of need.
But like everything else in 2020, parenting has been dramatically twitter database impacted by Covid-19. We’ve seen unprecedented shifts in how people search Google for parenting advice. And the “why” behind those searches—the needs, emotions, and expectations—shed new light on how parents are adapting to changing family dynamics, all of which have implications for marketers . Beyond
analyzing search data, Google partnered with with parents across the United States to understand how Covid-19 has affected them.
►More quality time
There is a silver lining. Despite the many challenges parents have had to face, they are grateful for the extra time they have been able to spend with their families.
“We have to pay more attention to them during the day than we ever have before” (referring to the boys), said one respondent. “I feel like I got to know them better. We have had more interactions than we ever would have had before.”
Searches for “family movies on” grew globally by over 100% during the year.
An indicator that families are spending more quality time together: searches for “family movies” have grown globally by more than 100% year-over-year.
►Not just parents anymore
But the fact is that parents in the time of Covid-19 are no longer just parents.
With multiple family members living, working and studying under the same roof, parents have had to become office managers, as the home becomes a multi-purpose space that was probably not designed with an eye toward being an office, a school and an entertainment center.
Families, therefore, are trying to optimize their space for everything they need right now by creating separation.
Illustrated desk overlaid with search magnifying glass icon representing the claim that searches for “kids desk” have grown globally by over 500% year over year.
Photo translation: "Searches for 'kids desk' have increased globally by more than 500% year-over-year."
“We set aside a room for my wife so she could have an office,” said one respondent. “We got our son a better computer and set him up in an area where he can do schoolwork, play music and do things like that.”
Which brings us to two of the biggest stressors for parents: playing teacher and cheerleader.
With schools around the world closed for much of the year, and some still trying to find the right approach to moving forward, parents are scrambling to fill the gaps. Searches for “online learning” have increased globally by more than 400% year-over-year, and searches for “homeschooling” have increased globally by more than 200% in the same time period.
