For two decades, \u201cjust Google it\u201d was the default answer to almost everything.<\/p>\n
Stuck on homework? Google. Need a recipe? Google. Worried your weird rash might be deadly? Google \u2014 then panic.<\/p>\n
But for Gen Z, that once-automatic reflex has started to shift. It\u2019s not that they\u2019ve abandoned Google altogether; it\u2019s just no longer the first port of call.<\/p>\n
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By continuing you agree to our Terms<\/a> and Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Why wade through a swamp of SEO-stuffed blog posts and ads when TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and now AI can serve up instant, human answers that feel more authentic?<\/p>\n TikTok as a search engine<\/p>\n If Google is the dusty, information-filled library, TikTok is the friend who whispers the actual answers during class.<\/p>\n Type \u201cbest mascara\u201d into Google and you\u2019ll get an endless scroll of affiliate marketing articles.<\/p>\n Type it into TikTok and you\u2019ll see clumpy lashes, smudge tests, and someone crying in real time because the waterproof formula really works.<\/p>\n According to Dr Lauren Rosewarne, media scholar at the University of Melbourne, part of the appeal lies in how younger audiences consume information in shorter bursts.<\/p>\n \u201cFactors include lower attention spans along with young people being disproportionately drawn to content that seems innovative, novel, entertaining and personality driven.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGen Z trusts influencers and content creators more than SEO-optimised articles, as recommendations feel like advice from friends rather than robotic algorithm responses,\u201d said Maria Padisetti, CEO and co-founder of Digital Armour.<\/p>\n She added that, \u201cfor a generation raised on YouTube tutorials and Instagram stories, content consumption is driven by visuals rather than lengthy articles.\u201d<\/p>\n Instagram for the aesthetic stamp<\/p>\n Instagram has become the mood board of choice for everything from brunch spots to Bali itineraries.<\/p>\n Why read a 2000-word Google review when you can scroll a geotag and instantly see how the avocado toast looks under natural light?<\/p>\n Dr Rosewarne says this shift is as much cultural as it is technological.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a generation that\u2019s come of age unlikely to be naturally associating authority and expertise with news anchors and are more likely to source information from people who seem engaging and familiar to them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t necessarily mean blind trust, but it does mean authority now wears a friendlier face.<\/p>\n Dr Rosewarne also notes that this doesn\u2019t necessarily make Gen Z less discerning. \u201cYoung people are often more media literate and able to discern opinion from fact than some adults, given that they\u2019ve been navigating this space for the entirety of their lives,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Pinterest for the planners<\/p>\n Google might tell you \u201chow to pack for Europe,\u201d but Pinterest will hand you a perfectly colour-coded capsule wardrobe guide complete with outfit grids.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a search style that feels more personal \u2014 less mechanical, more human.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of thinking of one \u2018large or monolithic\u2019 search engine, we may need to accept that audiences both young and old will use AI + search engines based on the use cases,\u201d Ms Padisetti said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s no longer one-size-fits-all, search now fits into two categories: \u2018I know what exists, take me there,\u2019 which is Google\u2019s strength, and \u2018I don\u2019t know what I need yet, help me explore,\u2019 which is TikTok or AI\u2019s strength.\u201d<\/p>\n X for the live updates<\/p>\n If TikTok is the after-dinner recap, X is the live broadcast.<\/p>\n From celebrity scandals to natural disasters, X has become a space where eyewitness videos and first reactions surface instantly, often shaping how stories unfold in real time.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the same platform that once let Donald Trump set the global news cycle with a single tweet.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve certainly seen a discernible rise in conservative and misogynist thinking among young men, a trend that can be linked to certain social-media figures (think Andrew Tate, etc.) whose appeal is notably gendered,\u201d Dr Rosewarne said.<\/p>\n And now, AI and Google AI<\/p>\n Layer AI into the mix, and the cultural shift looks permanent.<\/p>\n Why Google \u201chow to write a breakup text\u201d when ChatGPT can draft three versions in seconds?<\/p>\n AI feels faster, more direct, and more personal than Google\u2019s endless blue links.<\/p>\n While AI tools can feel more efficient, they\u2019re not always reliable. Unlike news organisations, which verify information through sources and editorial oversight, generative models can produce answers that sound confident but aren\u2019t always correct.<\/p>\n As Dr Rosewarne puts it, \u201cFollow the money. Ask yourself who is profiting from how and where you search for information.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a reminder that algorithmic answers, whether from AI or social feeds, are rarely neutral, and credibility still depends on human judgment.<\/p>\n But Google insists it\u2019s not being replaced \u2014 it\u2019s evolving.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are searching more than ever. AI is driving the most significant upgrade of the Google Search experience ever,\u201d a Google Australia spokesperson told The Nightly.<\/p>\n \u201cWith AI Overviews and more recently AI Mode, people are able to ask questions they could never ask before, including questions that are often longer and more complex.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Google, \u201cpeople are increasingly seeking out and clicking on sites with forums, videos, podcasts, and posts where they can hear authentic voices and first-hand perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n In other words, Google believes it\u2019s adapting to the very behaviour Gen Z is being credited with inventing.<\/p>\n Ms Padisetti agrees the company\u2019s relevance isn\u2019t in question \u2014 just its monopoly.<\/p>\n \u201cGoogle\u2019s model is not outdated\u2026 they are fighting AI with AI,\u201d she said, pointing to the rollout of Gemini 2.0 and AI Overviews.<\/p>\n Still, she warns of a deeper tension at the heart of this evolution, \u201cBetter AI answers = happier users = more searches. But: better AI answers = fewer clicks = less advertiser value = reduced publisher incentive to create quality content.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a paradox Google will have to solve if it wants to keep the ecosystem it built alive.<\/p>\n Search itself has been redefined. It\u2019s no longer about blue links and keywords, but lived experience, fast takes, authentic voices, and proof that someone has tried it before you.<\/p>\n And, as Dr Lauren Rosewarne reminds us, \u201cyoung people are often more media literate \u2026 than some adults.\u201d<\/p>\n The message is clear: Gen Z isn\u2019t killing Google \u2014 they\u2019re reshaping what it means to search.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For two decades, \u201cjust Google it\u201d was the default answer to almost everything. Stuck on homework? Google. 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