Disturbing Possibility - Unknown Number Of People In UK Didn't Know What They were Voting On
Many UK voters didn’t understand Brexit, Google searches suggest
"What happens if we leave the EU?" and "What is Brexit?" were top search terms.
In the wee hours of Friday morning, the people of the UK voted to leave the European Union with a majority of 52 percent—and according to Google, they don't really know why. Two hours after the referendum polls closed, roughly midnight UK time, the Google Trends Twitter account reported a 250 percent increase in people searching "what happens if we leave the EU." "Are we in or out of the EU?" spiked by 2,450 percent .
Other search terms that peaked following the result include "what happens to foreigners if we leave the EU," "what happens if we stay in the EU," and—perhaps most worryingly considering the gravity of the decision—"what is Brexit?"
Earlier in the evening, the top search in Sunderland (one of the first cities to declare its results) was "How do I vote in the EU referendum?"
Unfortunately for the British people, the answer to the question "what happens if we leave the EU?" is unlikely to be answered by a simple Google search. While the short-term effects of Brexit are being felt this morning— a record fall in value for the pound , the loss of London's status as Europe's financial centre , and politicians backtracking on some questionable campaign promises—the long-term effects are extremely complex.
Before the referendum, however, numerous financial experts and governments worldwide warned that Brexit would not only damage the UK economy but also undermine the stability of the EU. Pro-Brexit campaigners dismissed the claims as "scaremongering," with Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove famously declaring that "people in this country have had enough of experts," even going as far as comparing pro-EU economists to Nazi sympathisers .
Google Trends has continued to pull out search data following the referendum result this morning, and while Google searches are obviously not indicative of the entire UK population, they do at least provide some insight into the country's voters.
Further Reading
UK votes to leave the European Union [Updated]
With 51.9 percent of the vote, the Leaves have it. Farewell, Europe.
"What does turnout mean in politics?" became the top question on voter turnout after polls closed, while "What is the EU referendum?" became one of the top searches in Birmingham . "What if the pound collapses?" was the second most popular search term in Northern Ireland following the vote, while Wales (which had a majority vote for leaving the EU) asked " What if Wales votes remain? "
The Brexit result will come as a blow to the tech industry, which overwhelmingly backed the UK to remain in the European Union. The lone leave voice from the British tech sector was that of vacuum cleaner innovator Sir James Dyson, who believed that leaving the EU would help him recruit top engineering talent from outside Europe.
While the repercussions of Brexit will be felt for years to come, some are taking it upon themselves to come up with ways to remain in the EU, regardless of how the UK voted: according to Google there was a 100 percent spike in UK searches for "getting an Irish passport" just a few hours ago.
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I saw a segment on a news show today where three people who were interviewed today said they regretted their "leave" vote already. They didn't seem to realize when they voted that this would permanently remove Britain from the European Union.
There was a news article with the headline ''Why didn't the polls tell us''. People upset that the polls didn't show that the ''leave'' vote was going to win. Two major polls showed ''remain'' winning by a good margin.
People have to think for themselves and get out and vote...Trying to blame it on polls is pure BS, IMO.
In every election there are voters who don't know what they are doing. I have a feeling that happened in this vote much more than usual.
I was shocked to see people being interviewed by news reporters the day after the vote saying they regretted voting "leave" once they realized (afterwards) what it meant.
In every election there are voters who don't know what they are doing. I have a feeling that happened in this vote much more than usual.
I was shocked to see people being interviewed by news reporters the day after the vote saying they regretted voting "leave" once they realized (afterwards) what it meant.
So who's fault is that? Who should we blame-- "The Muslims"? Or-- "The Blacks... The Jews...The Gays"? Or Cameron-- or Corbyn? Maybe let's blame-- the BNP! UKIP? Labour?
Or maybe it is Obama's fault-- or Trump's fault?
Who should we blame?
There were more people on British TV this morning saying they made a mistake in voting "leave" .
Now the young people there, 25 and under, are blasting the older generation for ruining their future. I think it is a fair and interesting question. What right do senior citizens have to dictate the future political configuration of the country possibly for generations? This is not the same thing as an election for a candidate that can be voted out in 2 or 4 years.