Welcome to your weekly dose of smart Gen Z analysis from YPulse Daily Intelligence.
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Kaley Mullin | Youth and Trends Insights Lead, YouTube
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01 | Social is Search 🔦
Headlines about TikTok gaining popularity (and trustworthiness) as a search engine, particularly among Gen Z, have been circulating for well over a year now. Google itself has made note of the shift: in 2022, a Google senior vice president said, “In our studies, something like almost 40 percent 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.” The reality is, searching on social media is often a more interactive experience than using traditional search engines (read: short videos), which makes it super appealing and digestible for young people. But of course, it’s not just TikTok that’s moved into the search engine conversation; all social media platforms young users frequent are now a contender for their searches.
TikTok is a major part of the search engine discourse right now, though. A recent study by Adobe of more than 800 consumers and 250 business owners shows that 40% of consumers are using TikTok as a search tool to find information, recipes, music, and more—and this rises to 64% among those they define as Gen Z. In fact, nearly 10% of the younger gen even say they prefer using TikTok over traditional search engines like Google when looking for information. Its prominence is even begging the question of whether future gens will continue to say, “Google it” if Google is no longer their go-to.
YPulse’s Social Media Monitor report asks 13-39-year-olds who use social media if they’ve ever used one of their daily-visited platforms to search for content, news, products, or more. While they might not exactly think of these platforms as “search engines” the way Google is, they are certainly turning to it in droves, making the competition valid to speculate about:
The vast majority of young people are using social media as a search engine
Eight in ten 13-39-year-olds say they’ve used a social media platform to search for content, news, products, and more. And it’s natural that they’d do so when they’re spending most of their time on social platforms throughout the day anyway. Young adults (18-24-years-old) are using social media to search more than any other age group—though Millennials and teens aren’t far behind. Especially with TikTok as part of the equation, this makes sense, as YPulse data shows 18-24-year-olds are the biggest users of the platform. Even more specifically, more than eight in 10 young women of this age group are using the platform, +6pts more than the closest following demographic—which is likely why they’re also leading the social search trend.
But while TikTok is driving this conversation, we know YouTube was the OG social media search engine. Even now, YPulse data shows young people say it’s the best platform for visual learning. For them, the primarily long-form video platform is best to learn more engaged types of skills, as they’re able to reference back to videos along the way. They also go to YouTube to learn more about a brand or how to use a product, showing this is a great space for brand expertise as well—which means brands can worry a bit less about their Google SEO and focus on their content.
The information may be less accurate on socials, but it’s more diverse
TikTok is Gen Z’s favorite social platform (even if it nearly ties with YouTube for most used), and the go-to short-form video space is ideal for quick searches—especially given its various new search functions. (Which have been developed as the brand takes note of its role in searching for young gens.) The app’s search capabilities, even seen in comment sections with hyperlinked keywords next to a magnifying glass icon, brings users to a discovery page of related videos. The brand even created a home screen widget so users could go directly to the apps search bar—mirroring the ease of traditional search engines. Because any content with the right phrases or hashtags are brought to the top, it leads them to a slew of perspectives from everyday users and verified sources alike.
As YPulse data further proves, this is the main reason they use social media to search:
YPulse’s News Consumption and Trust report data shows they’re aware social media is not the most reliable for trustworthy info. This is further validated with two in three young people agreeing they can’t trust just anyone and feel they have to make up their own thoughts and opinions about things. But YPulse’s Who’s The Expert? trend report shows the majority of 13-39-year-olds agree with the statement “Social media is the best place to learn about a topic because there are so many different perspectives on it,” which provides them enough information to form their own final opinion. This is where social media platforms have a competitive advantage: there’s as many points of view as there are users on a given app.
While we mentioned above how TikTok is catering to Gen Z’s shift in search habits, recent news reports show that automatically generated phrases in TikTok video search bars are causing some controversy. While the platform implemented these suggestions, determined by an algorithm based on user comments and searches, to increase search activity, they often feature sensational, misleading, or unrelated information; raising concerns about whether TikTok’s efforts to boost search activity may end up causing more harm than good.
Despite being depicted in the media as easy prey for fake news, young people are clearly well aware of the dangers of misinformation. As YPulse data shows, young consumers say “fake news” is one of the biggest issues in society today, sifting through fact and fiction on their socials is something they’re pros at—and has shown them to be selective of which experts, brands, and influencers they trust. And the platforms they frequent have been making effort to prove their trustworthiness as social search has become the norm, from TikTok’s election integrity hub to YouTube’s collab with the American Heart Association for pinned videos on quick emergency health tutorials.
This is by no means the death of Google
When finding information or learning something new, over three quarters of 13-39-year-olds turn to classic search engines. And while this is comparable to the number who have used social media to search, it comes in as their most popular choice above social media when asked about many sources as options. YPulse’s Who’s the Expert? trend data shows that this is the top choice for both Gen Z and Millennials, proving social media is not overshadowing their lifetime method of searching anytime soon. And as Google is young people’s first stop when researching online, many have come to trust it as a credible source for finding the facts. For these gens, Google is still the ideal place to learn more complex and in-depth subject matter, as it directs them quickly to what they consider trustworthy sources.
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Miffy the Bunny, a Dutch children's book character, is a viral aesthetic icon. In the last year, searches in America for Miffy have increased by over 200% as the character becomes commonplace in accessories, home décor, plushies, and more—as seen on viral social media posts. And while Miffy comes from children’s stories in Europe, the consumers of these products are young adults and adults who feel the bunny brings joy into their lives. Plus, Gen Z loves to be ahead of the trend—Miffy is still somewhat hard to find in the U.S. and isn’t as well-known as other kawaii characters, which makes the merch even more exciting to show off. YPulse’s brand new Kidulting trend report shows that young people are fully embracing toy purchases to spark joy, even when it’s a character or brand new to them, not just a nostalgic one from their childhood. (New York Times)
