Google deep dives…you know…that thing where you’re watching a movie and then you wonder, where did this supporting actor grow up, and while I’m at it, what were his parents like growing up? Are his siblings on Facebook? I wonder if they’ve posted any photos from their last family gathering… That’s a Google deep dive.
Or, you see a headline about a druggie in Florida eating someone’s face off, so you decide to Google cannibalism, read about the first recorded cases and most gruesome ones. Maybe it’s YouTube footage of plane crashes kind of day.
I don’t know what it is for you, but getting over the flu is the perfect time to do some intense, senseless investigating. Here are some great ones I’ve done…
Iceland I had a friend who decided to get married in Iceland. Her Facebook photos were stunning, so I thought; I wonder what kind of people live in Iceland. After looking into the politics, demographics, geography, and economic information, I stumbled upon a full-length documentary about life in Iceland.
If you ever need to move there, I know exactly what you need to do and where to find the paperwork to make it happen.
Sinkholes, Firenados, and other Weird Natural Disasters You know what’s way better than watching a horror movie? Researching all the terrifying things that can just spontaneously happen to you. Like, your bed could get swallowed into the earth while you’re sleeping. Or, a tornado of fire could scorch you. Deep dive with this mind set and you can find out all sorts of things…like the fact that I happen to live in one of the top 5 states with the most sinkholes.
Obscure Comedy Writers You love The Mindy Project. It’s your favorite show. The characters, the story, everything. So, you wonder, just what sort of brilliant masterminds are the ones writing lines like, “You are so wise. Why are you wasting your time on medicine? You should be a life coach on ‘The Biggest Loser?’”
Mindy is a genius, but you know she’s got to have a team. It’s really not hard to stalk them. They all post a lot on Instagram and Twitter. After this particular google deep dive, not only do I aspire to be Tracey Wigfield (one of the writers who also acts on the show) when I grow up, I also think her mom has a super cool presence on Facebook.
Diseases and Mental Illness This deep dive is particularly fulfilling if you’re a hypochondriac, like myself. Before you know it, you will have diagnosed yourself with all sorts of personality disorders and autoimmune diseases. When’s the last time you went in for a physical, anyway? It’s probably about time.
Stand Up Comics Everyone loves a good laugh, but who are these people that are making us laugh? Usually, they are really smart, Harvard educated, clinically depressed people. Or, really unintelligent clowns. It depends on your taste in humor. Either way, I’ve spent a good chunk of life doing investigative research on these characters.
I’m always looking for more useless information to gather and more time to squander, so please do share your own Google deep dives with me in the comments section below.