Using the Baidu Index to Understand the Public Online Interest Towards Moral Education in Mainland China

Objective: This article primarily aims to clarify the spatiotemporal characteristics of public attention to “moral education”. Method: It uses the Baidu Index as a research tool to collect data on netizens’ interest in moral education and uses this data as material for analysis. from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2023. Results and Conclusion: Temporally, from 2013 to 2023, the concern for “moral education” showed a wave-like trend of rising and falling. “Socialist core values,” “Three Views,” and “faith” were the most popular related information among the public. Spatially, the geographical distribution of the group concerned with “moral education” generally spread from the eastern coastal areas to the central and western regions over the years, showing a spreading trend. The geographical concentration index showed a trend of dispersion-concentration-dispersion. In terms of population structure, females were the majority. The age group with the most attention was 40-49 years old netizens.