Viral Map Shows Google’s True Feelings About New Jersey

It's no secret that New Jersey has a bad rap compared to other states. Most of that nonsense comes from stereotypes. People sometimes think of it as just a crowded, industrial place with lots of traffic and a bit of an attitude. Obviously, both movies and TV shows have contributed to this image. New Jersey is often portrayed as loud or rough around the edges.

But here's the thing: every state has its quirks and challenges, doesn't it? It’s actually super unfair to judge a place based on what you hear or see in the media. While it's true that everyone is entitled to their opinion, experiencing a place firsthand is a much better way to understand it.

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For example, New Jersey has amazing parks, beautiful beaches, rich history, and diverse communities. Plus, it’s known for its great food, especially the pizza and bagels!

If you leave it up to Google, though, it sides with the haters. A viral map from the early 2010s had gone viral once again for revealing Google's most common autocompleted word for each state. If you type into the Google search bar "Why is New Jersey so," Google's response is pretty on-point with what we as NJ residents would expect outsiders to ask.

Google reveals its true thoughts about New Jersey

Back in January of 2014, if you typed that exact phrase into Google, it would have given you the immediate response of "bad." The sentence would then read "Why is New Jersey so bad?"

If you think that's bad (no pun intended), apparently things have gotten much worse since then. If you google "Why is New Jersey SO" in 2024, here's the answer:

Yep, apparently New Jersey is hated by the majority of the population now. There's another way to look at this new output, though. If people are asking why New Jersey is so hated, does that mean they don't understand why? Are people starting to realize NJ isn't as bad as people make it seem?

To be honest, New Jersey residents really don’t care much about the negative opinions from outsiders. We take pride in the state (most of the time). So, next time someone brings up New Jersey's reputation, remind them that it’s always better to visit and form your own opinion rather than relying on stereotypes!