As we reach the end of the year, it’s time to reflect on the things we think are important.
And if Facebook is any indication, we care most about the Pope, elections, and a tiny, royal human.
The world’s largest social network shared some statistics with us Monday morning revealing what people on Facebook talked about most this year. The undeniably hip Pope Francis snagged the top spot as the most discussed topic worldwide — although in the U.S., we mentioned the Super Bowl, the government shutdown, and the Boston Marathon more.
Another popular topic was Nelson Mandela, the South African emancipator and president who died Thursday at age 95. Around 55 million people had over 115 million interactions on Facebook related to the passing of Mandela, who worked throughout his life to bring democracy to a country torn by crime, corruption, and racism.
In the U.S., Daft Punk’s hit Get Lucky proved the most popular song, racking up the most Spotify plays through Facebook. And the most referenced technology was Instagram (and its squarish photos), which Facebook snapped up last year for $1 billion.
Facebook also shared some usage stats with VentureBeat. The social network had an average 727 million daily active users in Sept. 2013, roughly 80 percent of which are from outside the U.S. and Canada. And a ton of those users are transitioning to mobile devices: Facebook had 874 million monthly active users on mobile as of Sept. 30.
Check out the full lists of Facebook’s most popular topics, check-in destinations, and life events below.
Most talked about topics (worldwide)
1. Pope Francis
2. Election
3. Royal Baby
4. Typhoon
5. Margaret Thatcher
6. Harlem Shake
7. Miley Cyrus
8. Boston Marathon
9. Tour de France
10. Nelson Mandela
Most talked about topics (U.S.)
1. Super Bowl
2. Government Shutdown
3. Boston Marathon
4. Syria Crisis
5. Harlem Shake
6. Pope Francis
7. George Zimmerman
8. Royal Baby
9. Nelson Mandela
10. Presidential Inauguration
11. NBA Finals
12. Kim Kardashian
13. Miley Cyrus
14. James Gandolfini
15. Meteor Sighting
Most talked about by topic (U.S.)
Sports – Super Bowl
Movies – The Conjuring
TV Shows – Scandal
Music – Get Lucky by Daft Punk
Books – “Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander” by Phil Robertson
Games – Criminal Case by Pretty Simple Games
Public Figures – Peyton Manning
Politics – Government Shutdown
Technology – Instagram
Viral Moments – Harlem Shake
Internet Memes – Giraffe
Top life events (worldwide)
1. Added a relationship, got engaged, or got married
2. Traveled
3. Moved
4. Ended a relationship
5. First met a friend
6. Added a family member, expecting a baby, or had a baby
7. Got a pet
8. Lost a loved one
9. Got a piercing
10. Quit a habit
Most checked-in places (U.S.)
1. Disneyland & Disney California Adventure (Anaheim, CA)
2. Times Square (New York, NY)
3. Epcot – Walt Disney World (Lake Buena Vista, FL)
4. Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, CA)
5. AT&T Park (San Francisco, CA)
6. Rangers Ballpark (Arlington, TX)
7. Universal Studios Hollywood (Universal City, CA)
8. Fenway Park (Boston, MA)
9. MGM Grand Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas, NV)
10. Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo (Houston, TX)
This list excludes transportation hubs
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