Nearly Half Of Gen Z Use Instagram Or TikTok To Search Instead Of Google

What do people say when you ask a question nobody seems to know the answer to? ‘Google it,’ right?

Well, not anymore. It seems that we might soon be saying ‘Instagram it’ or ‘TikTok it’ when we have a burning question, as new data has revealed that nearly half of Gen Z mobile users turn to Instagram or TikTok to search instead of Google.

Almost 40% of Gen Z people prefer to use the above social platforms to make searches over the popular search engine, as per Google’s internal data.

TikTok, the fastest-growing social media platform has massively increased its user base in the last few years and has even prompted other social platform competitors to launch similar video features with Instagram Reels, Snapchat Spotlight and YouTube Shorts.

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Now, a representative of Google has confirmed that TikTok’s layout is shaping the way young people search the web, with the search engine finding new ways to keep things fresh for the younger generation.

Prabhakar Raghavan, Google’s senior vice president, told Fortune Brainstorm Tech at a conference: “Something like almost 40% of young people when they're looking for a place for lunch, they don't go to Google Maps or Search, they go to TikTok or Instagram."

Google also confirmed the statistic to Insider, adding: “We face robust competition from an array of sources, including general and specialized search engines, as well as dedicated apps." 

The search engine also explained how they are undergoing changes to appeal to Gen Z, including providing ways for users to scan their camera across an area and ‘instantly glean insights about multiple objects in a wider scene,’ irrespective how potentially invasive that might sound.

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And the threat of keeping up with TikTok’s younger demographic is certainly real. In the US, children and teens between the ages of 10 and 19 make up a quarter of TikTok’s active users, according to Social Shepherd.

Meanwhile, those aged 20-29 years old make up 22.4% of its user base, while those firmly in the millennial category at age 30-39 are 21.7% of users on the site.

Elsewhere in the social media realm, Doja Cat’s Instagram following has dwindled whilst Noah Schnapp’s has increased after he shared her DMs online.

The unlikely pair have made headlines since the singer got in contact with the Stranger Things star to ask him how to slide into the DMs of Joseph Quinn, who plays Eddie Munson on the Netflix show.

While the 17-year-old was happy to hand over Quinn's information, he also posted pictures of their private exchange onto TikTok in a now-deleted video titled 'thirsty Doja'. You can read more on that here.

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