Google spike shows confused Brits searching for Brexit answers

If you're about to go vote on a historical referendum, you might want to check what your vote really means before you scribble a "yes" or "no" on that ballot. Judging from some of the latest trends of Google, quite a few Brits have done so only after Thursday's Brexit referendum, in which the country voted to leave the European Union. 

According to Google Trends' official Twitter account, there was a 250 percent spike for the "what happens if we leave the EU" query in Britain, shortly after the polls closed. 

The trend might indicate that a lot of voters didn't really understand all the implications of the vote, but it could also be a reflection of voters' surprise and uncertainty after the referendum results were publicly announced. 

Another search phrase that spiked post-vote, "Are we in or out of the EU," indicates a degree of confusion amongst some British residents. Are they curious about the results of the referendum, or are they unsure whether the UK was ever a part of the European Union in the first place?

Yes, Great Britain is still part of the European Union -- for now. But while the referendum vote is not legally binding, the country is very likely to leave the Union at some point in the future. 

The problem right now is that no one really knows what that future holds. The referendum result has sent the pound sterling and the global stock markets plummeting, but that's just the beginning. Great Britain now faces years of economic uncertainty, negotiations related to trade laws, migrants and a host of other issues. 

Another search trend that's spiking post-vote is a good indication of how serious the matter is. 

Yeah, some Britons are already looking into ways to change citizenship. 

Unfortunately, the vote has been cast, and there's no easy way to change that. 

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