Surge in Eye Discomfort Searches Following Solar Eclipse
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States experienced a significant solar eclipse yesterday, with 13 states witnessing totality and nearly the entire country observing a partial eclipse. The National Solar Observatory issued a warning against directly viewing the sun outside the brief totality phase, where the moon completely obscures the sun. Despite these cautions, there was a 5,750% increase in the number of people searching “my eyes hurt after looking at the eclipse” in the past day, indicating widespread disregard for safety advice.
A new analysis by Payless Power using Google Trends data highlights a surge in eye discomfort concerns following the eclipse. Searches related to eye pain saw a 502% increase, while those specifically about eye pain post-eclipse jumped by 5,740% within the last 24 hours. This surge suggests that many Americans might have neglected the use of protective eyewear during the event.
Interestingly, the top three states where searches for “my eyes hurt” soared were not in the path of totality, with Georgia, New Jersey, and Florida leading the list. The increase in these searches underscores the nationwide concern over potential eye damage from the solar event.
Searches for “my eyes hurt” have skyrocketed in these 25 states, with the top three states NOT in the path of totality: 1. Georgia – 4,006% 2. New Jersey – 3,121% 3. Florida – 2,747% 4. New York – 2,606% 5. Illinois – 2,046% 6. Massachusetts – 1,843% 7. Ohio – 1,820% 8. Missouri – 1,780% 9. Connecticut – 1,589% 10. Arizona – 1,350% 11. Virginia – 1,312% 12. North Carolina – 1,289% 13. Michigan – 1,281% 14. Indiana – 1,054% 15. Nevada – 1,005% 16. Pennsylvania – 892% 17. California – 867% 18. Alabama – 625% 19. Iowa – 622% 20. Maryland – 559% 21. Texas – 358% 22. Oklahoma – 352% 23. Delaware – 307% 24. Mississippi – 290% 25. Tennessee – 225%