• Each State’s Top Film Mapped
• Methodology
• About CenturyLinkQuote

Casting female strength in the lead is on the rise.

For the past decade, we’ve seen a shift in the roles played by females in action movies. From Gal Gadot’s powerful debut as Themysciran princess Diana Prince to Jennifer Lawrence’s performance of eagle-eyed Katniss Everdeen, women in cinema have shaken off the stereotypical damsel in distress roles and become the ones doing the saving. 

Women playing a stronger role in films is a concept that Dr. Kimberly Mangun couldn’t agree more with.  An Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Utah, Dr. Mangun stated, “It is important for girls and women — and people across the gender spectrum —  to see powerful female characters who shape their own destinies, use their intellect, confront challenges, and defy stereotypes.”

Won over by both critics and public alike, female-led movies from 2014-2017, including films such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, out-earned films with male leads across all budget levels. More and more often, filmmakers are casting aside traditional female supporting roles and putting women in the lead.

Following the release of Marvel’s latest female-led film, Black Widow, we at CenturyLinkQuote wanted to know where states stand when it comes to movies with female leads. Keep reading to find out which movie your state searched for the most. 

Interesting Findings:

• Birds of Prey(and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020) is the most searched female-led action film nationwide, with 29 states searching for the movie most. 
• The highest-grossing film on this list found love in only two states. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens earned $936.66 million at the box office. 
• Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) had the highest Metascore from our top 12, earning a score of 90 from metacritic.com.
• In 2017, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins rose to fame when the film was named the highest-grossing live-action movie directed by a woman. In total, the movie made over $821 million worldwide.
• Captain Marvel is the first film in the Marvel franchise to feature a female lead, and was released on International Women’s Day on March 8, 2019.

Methodology

The team at CenturyLinkQuote determined the 10 most popular female-led action movies of the past 11 years by consulting IMDB data, Rotten Tomatoes, and box office revenue. Then we organized the list by the highest search volume and used Google Trends to determine each state’s most googled movie in 2021. 

About CenturyLinkQuote

CenturyLinkQuote is an authorized sales agent of CenturyLink.

For media inquiries, please contact media@centurylinkquote.com.

Gone are the days when shoppers would browse through mail-order catalogs when they wanted to peruse merchandise outside of a brick and mortar. Now, you can order milk at 2 am, find a scarf in every pattern imaginable, or purchase rare items from sellers worldwide—all thanks to online shopping. 

Many people bookmark their choices for the best stores to shop online, and chances are your most popular online shopping sites may not be so different from your neighbors’. How can we tell? The team at CenturyLinkQuote.com—an ideal source for an affordable internet connection—has put together a list of the most searched online stores in each state.  

Is your favorite site on our list? Keep reading to find out what’s popular in your state and nationwide. 

Interesting Findings

• Amazon.com was the top site in the most states at 17 and secured a net income of over 21 billion dollars for 2020. 
• In 2020, Etsy had over four thousand sellers and was the most searched in nine states.
• A 2020 survey found that 97% of Etsy seller respondents liked being able to sell from their homes, one of the reasons for the site’s large and diverse seller inventory. 
• Skincare company Curology has only been around for seven years, but six states searched for it the most. 
• Out of the 13 online shopping stores we looked at, five were popular in only one state—Zappos, ASOS.com, Wayfair, Overstock.com, and eBay.com. 
• A global survey from Bazaarvoice found that 74% of people have done less in-person shopping over the past year and a half—a habit that 32% of U.S. shoppers plan to continue in the future. 
• Revenue from e-commerce in the U.S. amounted to $431.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2020 and is estimated to increase to $563.4 billion by 2025.

Methodology

The team at CenturyLinkQuote.com assembled a list of 18 online-only retailers. We defined “online-only” status as stores with only temporary pop-up locations or less than 15 brick-and-mortar locations worldwide. 

From there, we used SemRush to discover which 13 online retailers had the highest search volume. We then used Google Trends to determine which store each state has searched for the most in the past year. 

About CenturyLinkQuote

CenturyLinkQuote is an authorized sales agent of Centurylink products.

For media inquiries, please contact media@centurylinkquote.com.

Americans love their TVs. An estimated 121 million American homes have a TV. Families gather around the screen to catch up on daytime soap operas, rewatch low-budget film favorites, and binge-watch new family TV series on popular streaming services. Could all of that screen time harm family relationships?

The team at CenturyLinkQuote decided to find out. We polled 1,000 US families about their TV habits, and learned that 62% of people enjoy watching TV as a family because it helps them bond. TV can also serve as a looking glass into diverse perspectives. 82% of respondents said watching shows about different cultures and lifestyles has helped “remind my family that there are other ways to see the world.”

So, if you’re watching TV right now, do us a quick favor and hit pause, just for a little bit. We have some good news to share. 

 According to survey results, 41% of respondents watch 2–4 hours of TV with their family every day. Does that sound a bit too high? We don’t think so—TV time can help loved ones bond, spend more time together, learn about new points of view, and teach viewers new skills or facts. 

Here are a few more of our favorite findings from the survey:

Survey Stats:

• TV brings families closer. 41% of people said watching TV is valuable since “It’s the one time we can sit down together despite our busy schedules.”
• It can help teach kids decision-making skills. 72% of parents said watching TV gives them opportunities to “teach their kids how to make good choices.”
• Screen time can be educational. 43% of respondents say they “always learn new things about cooking, home improvement, math, science, and other topics by watching educational TV.”
• Some Americans have bumped up their TV time. 30% of respondents said that, over the past year, they have watched TV for more than three hours a day longer than they used to.  

If your TV watching has increased, that could be a good thing. That time in front of the TV isn’t wasted—it’s quality time spent with your loved ones. 

If you’re not satisfied with what’s playing on your TV right now, you may need to upgrade to a new TV provider. To catch top-programming in glorious high-definition, check out DIRECTV programming, offered via CenturyLink.

Methodology

The team at CenturyLinkQuote.com polled 1,000 US families using Pollfish. After ensuring our participants had at least one child under the age of 18, we asked them ten questions about their families’ TV habits. Questions included: 

• “How much time per day do you spend watching TV with your family?”
• “Do you learn new skills or gain new insights when you watch TV with your family?”
• “Of these TV shows, which one does your family watch the most?”

We then summarized the survey results and created the infographic above.

About CenturyLinkQuote

CenturyLinkQuote is an authorized sales agent of Centurylink products.

For media inquiries, please contact media@centurylinkquote.com.

Follows and filters and hashtags—oh, my! As people nowadays spend an increasing amount of time on phones and electronic devices, terms such as these have weaseled their way into our everyday vocabulary. Though people tend to have mixed feelings about social media, it’s a daily habit for many. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center roughly 72% of Americans use some type of social media; if not daily, then in some capacity.

For some, social media is how they first connected with their significant other. For others, it’s how they remain connected with their significant other. Whether scrolling on a phone or desktop computer, a strong internet connection can have quite the impact on someone’s love life. Who knew?

Rebecca Williams, a licensed marriage and family therapist at Inland Empire Couples Counseling, stated, “Social media often plays a role in couples getting together or getting to know each other during the dating period. Sometimes it is the source of laughter, conversation topics, or couples connecting around things they both care about.”

To find out for ourselves, the CenturyLinkQuote team surveyed over 1,000 Americans, asking how social media impacts their relationship. 50% of respondents said social media makes them feel closer to their partner.

Methodology

To learn how social media affects romantic relationships, the experts here at CenturyLinkQuote surveyed 1,110 people over the age of 18 who were in a relationship at the time of the survey. The survey consisted of questions about general details of the relationship, and how the subject regarded social media in their own romantic situations.

What We Learned

Interestingly, the results of our survey pinpointed more positives than negatives concerning social media and relationships. This may be thanks to the typical platform’s multifaceted nature and endless amount of content including videos, articles, and Buzzfeed quizzes. Where there’s a good cat video, there’s bound to be a couple that shares it with each other. Here are some other interesting things we learned from the survey:

• 75% of respondents said social media sparks interesting conversations with their partner.
• 75% of respondents confirmed that social media helps them relive memories with their partner. 
• 54% of respondents claimed that social media makes it easier to communicate with a long-distance partner.

Rebecca Williams also weighed in on the effect social media has on long-distance relationships, commenting, “Social media can potentially be a real positive for long-distance relationships as it gives convenient ways to keep in touch and to keep up with what the other person is doing.”

Williams also shared advice for couples on how to have a healthy relationship with their social media platforms. “When you are physically together, be together,” she said. “Don’t use social media to get other people on your side during an argument. Use it as a tool. Take what you see online and use it as a conversation starter in real time with your partner.”

About CenturyLinkQuote

CenturyLinkQuote is an authorized sales agent of Centurylink products.

For media inquiries, please contact media@centurylinkquote.com.

The next generation of the PlayStation and Xbox are flying off shelves, and rumor has it the new and improved Nintendo Switch will release soon. For serious and casual gamers alike, this adds to the ever-evolving debate: which gaming console is the best on the market?

Nintendo lovers will tell you Nintendo Switch’s upsides (flexible controller and ultra-fast loading capabilities) outweigh its downsides (crummy battery life and occasional lag on the Joy-Cons). PlayStation 5 (PS5) devotees will rave about the console’s stunning visuals and system specs. Of course, Xbox fans will throw money towards the Series X and Series S, thanks to Microsoft’s signature affordable yet attractive models. 

At Centurylinkquote.com, we know which gaming consoles are our favorites (we are, after all, gaming lovers ourselves). But in the spirit of the season of reflection, we wanted to see which gaming console is everyone else’s favorite. To find out, we surveyed nearly 3,000 gamers and identified the most-searched gaming consoles to see which ones Americans plan on splurging on the most.

As it turns out, only 16.2% of the gamers we surveyed plan to buy a new gaming console this year‚ but of those in the market, the overwhelming majority plan to drop cash on the PlayStation 5.

Why the Results Played Out the Way they Did

• If you’re wondering what’s so special about the PS5, don’t worry: we have answers. The PS5 is faster and more powerful than previous PS console models, and it queues up games in the blink of an eye. Its real moneymaker, though, is its DualSense controller: adaptive triggers and haptic feedback take gamers out of the basement or bedroom and immerse them in the game.
• Compared to the PS5, the PS5 Digital Edition has a few key differences from the former. For starters, it doesn’t come equipped with a disc drive, meaning it isn’t compatible with games on discs. If you already have a substantial collection of disc games, you should stick to the original PS5. If you plan on going entirely digital, the PS5 Digital Edition is for you. 
• The Xbox Series X is considerably more popular than the Xbox Series S—and there’s a reason why. The Series S doesn’t include an optical drive, which means, like the PS5 Digital Edition, you can say sayonara to your favorite disc-version games. The Series S is the watered-down version of the Series X, and while the Series S is far cheaper, it doesn’t have nearly as much GPU (graphics processing unit) power, and doesn’t stream in 4K. 
• The Nintendo Switch, although widely popular, tends to have as many cons as pros. We like that the console can go from a standard console to a portable console in an instant, but we don’t like how screwy the controllers are. The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is a solution, but that’ll run you an extra $70–$80. 

Methodology

The team at Centurylinkquote.com surveyed 2,848 people on Mouseflow to find out how many people plan on buying a new console and which console they plan to buy.

We also looked at SemRush keyword volume to see which gaming consoles had the most search volume in Amazon. Then we analyzed Google Trend data from 11/11/2020 to 11/12/2020 to determine which gaming console Americans google the most.

About CenturyLinkQuote

CenturyLinkQuote is an authorized sales agent of CenturyLink.

For media inquiries, please contact media@centurylinkquote.com.

Human curiosity never ceases. And during the last few decades, the World Wide Web has provided a platform for people to ask more questions than ever before. Most nowadays rely on a search engine and good internet network to provide answers to questions that may have once required a library visit or phone call.

Now that Google has made itself the expert resource for most things, CenturyLinkQuote.com conducted some research into what people are asking the search engine how to do the most. As we dug in, our researchers found that the most googled questions align with the whirlwind of events that have defined the past year, as well as other relevant topics of the current day such as:

• How do I file for unemployment?
• How do I backup my iPhone?
• How do I buy stock?

For example, the most common query in 5 states is “How do I save enough to retire?” According to PwC’s Retirement in America report, 25% of Americans have no retirement savings, and the other 75% may not have enough.

Curious what people in your state are asking Google how to do? We thought you might be. Just look below to find out.

Interesting Findings

In our quest to find out what piques Americans’ curiosity, we discovered some curious facts along the way:

• The most-searched query turned out to be, “How do I file for unemployment?” This was the most googled question in 14 states and the District of Columbia, which is unsurprising given that by December 2020, nearly 70 million Americans had sought unemployment benefits throughout the year.
• Idaho was the only state to search “How do I get a passport?” the most. This is an interesting query for Idaho, since Boise is home to a world-class airport (ranked 7th in a 2004 Global Airport Satisfaction Index Survey) that services nearly 2 million passengers every year.
• 4 states—Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, and Texas—searched the query, “How do I say I love you in Spanish?” the most. This is no surprise for Texas, considering that 40% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino. In Kansas, 12% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino. In Missouri, 4% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino. About 48% of the population of New Mexico identifies as Hispanic or Latino, the largest statewide population share nationally.
• “How do I clear my cache?” had the highest search volume in 6 states, and is shown to have a lot of benefits associated with the query. The Massachusetts government website explains that without clearing your cache, “your browser may still use old files which can cause display or access problems.”

State	"How do I" Question
Alabama	How do I file for unemployment?
Alaska	How do I file for unemployment?
Arizona	How do I back up my iphone?
Arkansas	How do I find my iphone?
California	How do I back up my iphone?
Colorado	How do I back up my iphone?
Connecticut	How do I save enough to retire?
Delaware	How do I file for unemployment?
District of Columbia	How do I file for unemployment?
Florida	How do I clear my cache?
Georgia	How do I back up my iphone?
Hawaii	How do I file for unemployment?
Idaho	How do I get a passport?
Illinois	How do I clear my cache?
Indiana	How do I clear my cache?
Iowa	How do I save enough to retire?
Kansas	How do I say I love you in Spanish?
Kentucky	How do I file for unemployment?
Louisiana	How do I find out my blood type?
Maine	How do I find my iphone?
Maryland	How do I back up my iphone?
Massachusetts	How do I clear my cache?
Michigan	How do I file for unemployment?
Minnesota	How do I save enough to retire?
Mississippi	How do I find my iphone?
Missouri	How do I say I love you in Spanish?
Montana	How do I file for unemployment?
Nebraska	How do I find my iphone?
Nevada	How do I file for unemployment?
New Hampshire	How do I file for unemployment?
New Jersey	How do I delete my instagram account?
New Mexico	How do I say I love you in Spanish?
New York	How do I find my iphone?
North Carolina	How do I clear my cache?
North Dakota	How do I buy stock?
Ohio	How do I back up my iphone?
Oklahoma	How do I find my iphone?
Oregon	How do I delete my instagram account?
Pennsylvania	How do I clear my cache?
Rhode Island	How do I file for unemployment?
South Carolina	How do I file for unemployment?
South Dakota	How do I file for unemployment?
Tennessee	How do I change my name on Facebook?
Texas	How do I say I love you in Spanish?
Utah	How do I find out my blood type?
Vermont	How do I file for unemployment?
Virginia	How do I save enough to retire?
Washington	How do I save enough to retire?
West Virginia	How do I find my iphone?
Wisconsin	How do I find out my blood type?
Wyoming	How do I file for unemployment?

Methodology

CenturyLinkQuote examined the “How do I…?” queries with the highest search volume in SemRush. From there, we plugged each query into Google Trends to find out which question each state in the U.S. googled the most within the past 12 months.

About CenturyLinkQuote

CenturyLinkQuote is an authorized sales agent of Centurylink products.

For media inquiries, please contact media@centurylinkquote.com.