Is There A Google Generation?

from the perhaps-not dept

There's something of a belief (at least among some) out there that kids who have "grown up" with Google are somehow better users of search engines and other online tools. They're referred to as "The Google Generation" by some. However, some new research coming out of the UK suggests that the Google Generation isn't quite what many people think. The study looking at how those who have grown up with Google (people born after 1993) do online research shows that they're not any better at using Google than those in other generations. If anything, the research actually suggested that we're all the Google Generation, as the ability to quickly process lots of information is found across generations. Of course, some of this is open to interpretation. The British Library, which conducted the research, claims that the fact that it's now common among all generations to look for quick blurbs of information and move on, suggests a "dumbing down" of society. However, that's not necessarily true. As the author of the article notes, being able to process lots of information quickly, before necessarily drilling down deeper, is an important skill. So, just the fact that people do end up reading more short blurbs or abstracts is hardly evidence that they don't also get the depth of information that they later need. On top of that, it would be surprising if people really thought that those under the age of 15 were better at researching information online. There are multiple tasks involved in research, and doing the search is just part of it. Being able to actually make use of that information and prioritize it is also important -- and it's those skills that younger users are less likely to have developed as well.

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