Gen Z researches using TikTok instead of Google

The New York Times recently reported that Gen Z users have begun replacing Google with TikTok as their primary search engine.

A 15 year old from New Orleans decided to apply to a private high school this year and she learned that she needed at least one letter of recommendation from a teacher. She had never asked for one prior to this, so she wanted to seek help…from TikTok

“Teacher letter of recommendation,” she typed into TikTok’s search bar before scrolling through the app until she found two videos: one explaining how to ask teachers for a recommendation letter and the other showing a template for one.

She said both had been made by teachers and were easier to understand than a Google search result or a YouTube video.

So what does this say about the way information is being consumed especially by the younger generation?

It seems that Gen Z prefers TikTok over Google because Google search results typically contain websites with more words than visual aid, making information consumption “tedious” and “boring”; and although one might argue that Google also contains an abundance of videos that help with research, most of these videos are long-form content from YouTube which may not be as conducive to the learning capabilities of those with a short attention span compared to short-form content like a TikTok video.

Unfortunately, if the lack of willingness to read coupled with the short attention span isn’t bad enough, things get worse for those who have made TikTok their primary search engine because of a higher risk of misinformation.

Although it is true that misinformation can be spread anywhere, be it intentional or unintentional, it is more likely for misinformation to circulate through social media platforms than websites because it is easier (and cheaper) to be on social media than to have a website.

This is due to the fact that anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection can create social media accounts but lesser are willing to commit to buying a domain name and pay for it yearly in order to have a website.

But what do you think? Should we evolve by utilizing social media as a source of information or should we stick to the sources of information we’ve already been accustomed to? Share your opinions in the comments below!

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