Google is increasingly abandoned, Gen Z is now moving to its successor

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The term Googling, which refers to the activity of surfing the internet using the Google browser, is no longer popular among the younger generation.

Research shows that the younger generation, especially Gen Z, no longer uses the Google search engine to get information online.

Gen Z is a term that refers to the generation born from 1997-2012. This generation is the first generation to be in contact with the internet throughout their lives.

Internet analyst at Bernstein Research, Mark Shmulik said that Gen Z is now starting to switch to other platforms. This can be seen from the increasingly rare word Google as a verb, which is a sign that the way they interact with the internet has changed.

“Younger audiences are ‘searching’, not ‘googling‘,” said Shmulik, as reported by Fortune, Thursday (12/9/2024).

According to Shmulik, the analysis shows that Gen Z is more likely to open the TikTok application than Google to see restaurant and hotel recommendations.

Or, they will refer to content creators to see recommendations for products to buy on e-commerce like Amazon. Gen Z also tends to search with Generative AI like ChatGPT to complete household chores.

Bernstein, using a survey conducted in April 2024 by Forbes Advisor and Talker Research of 2,000 Americans. The survey noted that 45% of Gen Z are more likely to do “social searches” through sites like TikTok and Instagram than Google.

That figure is higher than around 35% of millennials, 20% of Gen X, and less than 10% of Boomers.

Even as Gen Z gets older, they increasingly rely on social media as their primary search engine.

“Generation Z also grew up on a relatively mature internet. It’s second nature for these users to go directly to the source,” Shmulik said.

According to data from GWI Core, about 40% of Gen Z said they used social media as their primary search engine for brands, products and services in 2016, and nearly 52% said the same in 2023.

Meanwhile, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are welcoming younger generations by providing e-commerce platforms and tailored advertising. Even U.S. ad revenue from minors is set to reach $11 billion by 2023.id.

SOURCE : CNBC INDONESIA