2013 in Review: A Very Merry Facebook Countdown

As another year ends, the season for countdowns begins. What better way to look back on the year that was with a rundown of what or who was the most shareable content on Facebook for the year 2013? It might not be who or what you think it is.

The Atlantic reports on what makes something a little bit more shareable than the rest- it has to be famous, it has to play to the public's interests and a little bit of the element of surprise doesn't hurt. With that in mind, who would have thought that this year Pope Francis beat typhoons, floods, dance crazes, elections and Miley Cyrus on the arena of popularity?

The most talked about topics for the year are as follows:

1.       Pope Francis

2.       Election

3.       Royal baby

4.       Typhoon

5.       Harlem shake

6.       Flood

7.       Miley Cyrus

8.       Boston Marathon

9.       Tour de France

10.   Nelson Mandela

When broken down per country, The Atlantic observed some results that were absolutely charming: "While India talked most about the candidates for the 2014 elections; Canadian astronaut and space photographer Chris Hadfield was oft-discussed (and presumably beloved) in Canada."

A topic that was curiously missing from the list was that of the NSA's alarming system of surveillance. As it is tackling the issue of internet privacy, there should be more buzz around the topic but it seems that people have far too much pop culture in their mind to even think about it.

On the other hand, renewed interest in Pope Francis could also mean that people are looking towards a better and more tolerant leadership on the religious front. Whatever the case may be, it is certainly a treat to look back at a year that was filled with so much change in the world.

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