Your State’s Most-Googled “Free” Class

Jul 29 | By Brandon Jarman

When the pandemic reached the United States, many people found themselves staying at home in quarantine to avoid the spread of COVID-19. With more time on our hands than usual, quite a few of us took to binge-watching favorite shows or finally getting to tasks we had put off. 

However, many people across the nation decided to try a little something new. With access to free classes just a few keystrokes away thanks to Google, people were turning to online classes for free instruction on interests such as how to bake, photography, or arts and crafts. So what was the most popular googled free class in your state? The team at VerizonSpecials decided to find out.

Which “Free” Class is Your State’s Top Pick?

Interesting Findings

  • Out of fifty states, fourteen states—including Arkansas, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania—chose free online classes for DIY projects making it the most popular nationwide.  
  • With the natural beauty of New Mexico, it’s no wonder that free Arts & Craft classes were the most popular for the Land of Enchantment. 
  • District of Columbia is the only region that found free cooking classes to be the best use of time. 
  • Virginia is the only state most interested in free gym classes.
  • Even with the weather improving, Idaho and Oregon were the only two states googling free gardening classes. 

Methodology

VerizonSpecials looked at search volume for people who are looking for free online classes on Google between May 20, 2019, to May 20, 2020, using Google Trends to find what each state searched the most.

StateClass
AlabamaDIY Online Classes
AlaskaOnline Yoga Classes
ArizonaDIY Online Classes
ArkansasDIY Online Classes
CaliforniaDesign Classes
ColoradoDIY Online Classes
ConnecticutPhotography Classes
DelawareWriting Classes
District of ColumbiaCooking Classes
FloridaDesign Classes
GeorgiaDIY Online Classes
HawaiiLanguage Classes
IdahoGardening Classes
IllinoisDesign Classes
IndianaDIY Online Classes
IowaContinuing Education Classes
KansasDesign Classes
KentuckyDIY Online Classes
LouisianaDIY Online Classes
MaineBaking Classes
MarylandDesign Classes
MassachusettsDesign Classes
MichiganDIY Online Classes
MinnesotaPhotography Classes
MississippiWriting Classes
MissouriDIY Online Classes
MontanaBaking Classes
NebraskaBaking Classes
NevadaWriting Classes
New HampshireBaking Classes
New JerseyWriting Classes
New MexicoArts & Crafts Classes
New YorkContinuing Education Classes
North CarolinaContinuing Education Classes
North DakotaContinuing Education Classes
OhioDIY Online Classes
OklahomaWriting Classes
OregonGardening Classes
PennsylvaniaDIY Online Classes
Rhode IslandBaking Classes
South CarolinaPhotography Classes
South DakotaWriting Classes
TennesseeDIY Online Classes
TexasDesign Classes
UtahPhotography Classes
VermontOnline Yoga Classes
VirginiaGym Classes
WashingtonPhotography Classes
West VirginiaBaking Classes
WisconsinDIY Online Classes
WyomingBaking Classes

To Wrap Things Up

Sign up now to ensure your internet connection has the power to stream your “free” class today. 

About VerizonSpecials.com: VerizonSpecials.com is an online authorized retailer of Verizon. Verizonspecials.com blog is for informational purposes only, is not affiliated with and does not represent the views of Verizon.

For media inquiries, please contact media@verizon-business.com


Computer Use by State: Is Your State in the Top 10?

Aug 26 | By Ashley Ji Won Oh

Scroll down. Ping. Tweet. Post. Click. Scroll up. Rinse and repeat.

Does this sound familiar? These days, it seems we spend our free time on our computers consuming media. Even when we’re out, we frequently use our digital devices. In fact, the average American spends about nine hours and 39 minutes a day in front of a screen.

And with that much usage, you might want to consider how much you’re on your own computer. If you’re like most people, you like to surf, stream, game, and work from your computer without getting slowed down. If so, make sure you invest in the best price and speeds available in your area to keep your computer time as optimal as possible.

Because screens have virtually become the core of our daily lives, the VerizonSpecials.com team decided to find out which states spent the most and least amount of free time on computers.

Methodology

We looked at data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) to determine the average hours of leisure time spent on computers for 48 states. The data covered the years 2013 to 2017.

ATUS recorded time spent downloading files, using social media, browsing the web, and other leisure-related activities. Some activities were excluded, such as games, computer use for work, and other household actions such as online banking or shopping.

Intriguing Findings

  • Americans spent an average of 90 minutes of leisure time on the computer every day. If they worked at the national minimum wage for the same amount of time, they would have earned $3,969.38 a year.
  • In 11 states, men averaged more time on the computer, and in 31 states women spent more time. Residents of Alaska averaged two hours and 46 minutes a day on the computer.  That’s almost 1,010 hours a year, or 42 days—enough time to fly to the moon and back seven times.
  • Delaware residents spent the least amount of time on their computers, with an average of 43 minutes a day. In a year that’s 261 hours or just under 11 days, almost long enough to watch all of Game of Thrones four times.
  • Folks in Alaska, Arkansas, and Mississippi spent the most time on their computers for leisure. The top 10 fastest marathon times ever recorded are shorter than the time residents of these three states spent on their computer daily.   

Top 10 States That Spent the Most Leisure Time on the Computer

StateAverage daily  time on computerRank
Alaska2:46:481
Arkansas2:09:002
Mississippi2:07:123
Iowa1:52:484
Florida1:51:005
Tennessee1:50:246
Arizona1:46:487
New Hampshire1:45:368
Missouri1:43:129
Alabama1:42:0010

10 States That Spent the Least Leisure Time on the Computer

StateAverage daily time on computerRank
Delaware0:43:4847
South Dakota0:54:3646
Vermont0:56:2445
North Dakota1:07:1244
Idaho1:10:1243
Indiana1:14:2442
Massachusetts1:15:0041
Kentucky1:17:2438
Michigan1:17:2438
Utah1:17:2438

About VerizonSpecials.com: VerizonSpecials.com is an online authorized retailer of Verizon. Verizonspecials.com blog is for informational purposes and does not represent the views of Verizon.