They have a short attention span, according to a social media specialist.
THE NEW YORK Although “Googling” and “looking” for things online may be synonymous terms, that may be changing for the generation known as Gen Z.
According to internal data from Google, which was initially reported by TechCrunch, nearly 40% of Gen Z members (those born between 1997 and 2012, according to the Pew Research Center) choose TikTok for online searches.
They often mentioned that they don’t have a long attention span, according to social media consultant Adrienne Sheares, who created a focus group for Generation Z to talk about their search behaviours. They desire to obtain information rapidly, get to the point quickly, and avoid having to sort.
Sheares claimed that Gen Z was unhappy with Google’s search results. This is primarily due to the fact that the search engine made users navigate through adverts, which frequently make up the first few results for ordinary searches. Sheares claimed that TikTok, in contrast, offers a variety of ways to find material rapidly.
They employ it in a few different ways, according to Sheares. “Therefore, they might be searching for it in a manner similar to how you and I might seek. They particularly enjoy the “For You” tab, which serves up the results even before they start looking.”
The “For You” section of TikTok features a scrolling feed of videos that the app’s AI thinks the user might find interesting. As a result, searching on the “For You” page is more about finding information than it is about seeking for a specific item. TikTok presents material to users based on a number of variables, such as how long they spend watching a certain kind of video or whether they like or comment on it. Sheares claimed that a significant portion of why younger people appear to like browsing for material on TikTok is due to the algorithm.
They can locate information very rapidly because “the chances of [their results] being relevant are really high,” she claimed. “Because if you use TikTok frequently, it already knows quite a deal about you.”
Sheares added that Gen Z consumers particularly enjoy TikTok’s use of video because they believe it provides them with a more thorough search result.
You are viewing a three-sixty view of a place, an activity, or a thing, claims Sheares. In regards to bars, “they kept talking about the aesthetic and feel; they wanted to see the cosmetics samples.”
Sheares also said Gen Z tends to search for lighter topics on TikTok – things like recipes, fashion tips and bar recommendations. Meanwhile, they leave more complex subjects, such those pertaining to COVID or election news, to Google.
They do prefer Google for more important information, according to Sheares. “If they do find something on TikTok, they will utilise other techniques to verify, which typically involves going to Google or a news site to cite it,” says the author.
The use of images and video in web searches may become more commonplace. Google unveiled a brand-new function called “Multisearch” earlier this year that enables users to search using both text and images.
Even if users aren’t interested in apps like TikTok, Sheares predicted that more visual search will soon become commonplace.
