For quick answers and relatable information, Gen Z is increasingly turning to social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram as their primary search engines.
This marks a stark generational shift.
Gen Z has grown up immersed in social media, seeing it as an “information superhighway” for finding authentic, relatable content in their preferred video format.
Gen Z favors Social Media over Search Engine for a few key reasons:
1) Video Content is Preferred: 85% regularly use YouTube, with 80% saying videos influence their buying decisions.
2) Brand/Product Discovery: 45% use Instagram to find and research new brands and products.
3) Long-tail, Conversational Searches: Gen Z tends to use longer, more natural language queries.
4) Diverse and Inclusive Content: As the most diverse U.S. generation, Gen Z values content reflecting different backgrounds.
While Google fights back with AI tools surfacing more social commentary, this youth migration signals a continuing evolution in how we search online.
