Youths say goodbye to Google
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Gen Z is turning toward social media as a search engine, seeking quick, relatable answers amid dissatisfaction with Google's results, writes Axios' April Rubin.
Why it matters: Young internet users' behavior marks a clear departure from that of millennials, many of whom take pride in their "Google-fu."
- 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 aged 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 to 58% of those aged 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.
- Some users prefer to search on social media to get more authentic answers, especially as Google and others increasingly promote sponsored results.
State of play: 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.
- Plus, an increase in AI-generated content could exacerbate those issues, the researchers warned.
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.
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 first-hand perspectives."
