Are young people done saying they’re “Googling” something? As YPulse explained in our Social Search trend report, Google is facing real competition from social media apps as search engines—particularly among young adults. And while the company was once less enthused by their name becoming an official verb, its loosening status is representing a potentially risky shift in culture. Among Gen Z and especially Gen Alpha, platforms like TikTok and other social media are becoming popular first-step tools for searching—meaning they say they’ll “search it,” not “Google it.” And often, users will find a product through a post by a creator or brand and go straight to the brand’s website through an affiliate link, bypassing the search process entirely. (Business Insider)
📊 YPulse data: 78% of 13-39-year-olds use social media platforms to search for content, news, products, etc.
