Gen Z is turning toward social media as a search engine, seeking quick, relatable answers amid dissatisfaction with Google's results.
Why it matters: Young internet users'behavior marks a clear departure from that of millennials, who came of age in a golden era of online search and take pride in their "Google-fu," the art of searching like a pro.
It's also a headache for Google, a nearly $2 trillion company that's still heavily reliant on ad revenue tied to search results.
Driving the news: 46% of those ages 18-24 start their information quests by searching on Google, per data shared exclusively with Axios from YPulse, a youth research firm.
That's compared with 58% of those ages 25-39.
21% of 18- to 24-year-olds start with TikTok, while 5% start on YouTube.
The big picture: Social media platforms have "shifted so much from being a place to connect with friends and family to an information superhighway," MaryLeigh Bliss, chief content officer for YPulse, tells Axios.
Reality check: Google is still top overall for initial searches, followed by TikTok and YouTube.
Between the lines: Some users prefer to search on social media to get more authentic answers, especially as Google and others increasingly promote sponsored results.
"You're getting more information in smaller bites from more, different sources," says Fred Cook, director of USC's Annenberg Center for Public Relations.
Gen Zers are also true digital natives, having grown up in the social media era with no memory of Google's early days.
Zoom in: For news and quick answers, Jordan Alperin, 24, says she heads to Google, but for inspiration and personal stories, she uses social media.
Alperin, an associate creative strategist at Day One Agency, a communications firm, says she has gravitated to social media more lately compared to traditional search engines. Reddit and TikTok have been her go-tos.
"Content feels more relatable on these platforms and their comment replies fuel trust as people share niche experiences and perspectives," she said by email.
What they're saying: "People have many choices when it comes to accessing information," a Google spokesperson said.
"We're focused on continuing to make Search a place where you can find high quality, reliable information as well as a variety of firsthand perspectives."
State of play: Google recently expanded its AI-powered results tool, Search Generative Experience, which compiles information about a search as well as reviews or comments.
18- to 24-year-old users have reported the highest satisfaction scores with using this AI tool, the company said.
Late last year,Google also launched a feature that highlights results from forum websites such as Reddit, as well as one called Follow to automatically see updates on a topic tailored to users' interests.
Google also began spotlighting the sources of information coming from profile pages.
Yes, but: Users have been increasingly dissatisfied with Google's search results, says Danny Goodwin, managing editor of digital marketing and tech site Search Engine Land.
Low-quality results are well optimized to show up high on Google search result pages, per a study published this year by researchers in Germany focused on product searches.
What's next: An increase in AI-generated content could exacerbate those issues, the researchers warned.
"The line between benign content and spam in the form of content and link farms becomes increasingly blurry — a situation that will surely worsen in the wake of generative AI," they wrote.