Art Blog #112: Googling Is for Old People

Googling Is for Old People—And That’s a Problem for Google (But We’ll Still Use It Anyway)

Let’s be honest: if you're still "Googling" something, you're probably one of those people who remember when phones were just for calling people (and not sending unsolicited TikTok links). Yes, the once glorious act of Googling—sitting at your computer, typing in the search bar, and waiting for Google’s endless algorithms to provide that golden nugget of information—has officially become "the thing your parents do."

Why? Because apparently, Googling is so 2000s. It's now officially a sign that you might be creeping toward AARP membership. Cue the dramatic sound effect: wooooosh—that's the sound of Google’s relevance dropping faster than your dad’s attempt to “update his status” on Facebook.

Now, before you get all defensive and yell at your phone screen (don’t worry, you’re not the first), let's explore why Googling is being overrun by the younger, hipper, cooler kids on the internet—and what it means for Google. Spoiler alert: It’s not looking great.

Google: The Titanic of the Digital Age

Imagine Google as the Titanic right before it met its icy fate. It's big, it's powerful, and it thinks it’s unsinkable. But guess what? An iceberg is coming—except this iceberg is not made of ice; it's called ChatGPT, YouTube, and whatever random app Gen Z is into this week. In the pre-iPhone era, we Googled everything. "Where's the nearest pizza place?" Google it. "How do I get rid of this weird rash?" Google it. "Why is my phone acting weird?" Google it. Google was the answer to everything.

Now, though? People don’t "Google it" anymore. They "YouTube it" or "ChatGPT it" or, god forbid, “ask Siri” (who’s honestly just trying to make a name for herself at this point). You don’t have time for a 10-minute search session where you have to filter through the SEO garbage just to find that one helpful article buried in the weeds. No, no. You want a 30-second video that tells you exactly what you need to know while also making you laugh and question your life choices in the process.

Google’s Biggest Problem? It’s Not The Algorithms, It’s Us

You see, the problem for Google isn't just the changing habits of younger generations—it's how everything on the internet is moving faster, and Google is stuck trying to play catch-up. While ChatGPT or Perplexity is dropping knowledge in 10-second bursts of dopamine, Google is still asking you to click 12 links to find what you need. Not exactly the "fast and furious" vibe today's youth are craving.

And don’t even get me started on voice search. Google’s all, “Hey, ask me anything, I’ll give you 18,000 options, you’ll get distracted by an ad, and by the time you remember what you were searching for, you’ll end up on Pinterest looking for sweater patterns.” It's a mess.

The Rise of 'I'm Too Cool for Google' Generation

Generation Z (you know, the ones with no chill) have officially declared war on traditional search engines. They don’t “Google it”; they “ChatGPT it.” Want a how-to guide on making mac 'n' cheese with your eyes closed? Tik-Tok. Want to know how to make a meme about your cat’s bad attitude? Reddit. Want to actually find something useful without 47 pages of SEO tricks? Pinterest or ChatGPT. Google is like, "You want a search result that lists 'all the options?' Nah, fam, that’s so 2006."

It's no wonder that the younger generation is skipping Google and diving straight into apps that give them answers on a silver platter in 15 seconds or less. The attention span of a TikTok user is shorter than the time it takes for Google to tell you that you’re not spelling “quarantine” correctly. And don’t pretend like you haven’t given up halfway through a Google search because the top results were just ads and barely relevant.

Can Google Recover From This?

So what’s next for Google? It’s simple: time to adapt. The tech giant has been doing a decent job of trying to diversify, but no matter how many times they throw in a new "smart assistant" feature, it still feels like you’re asking your mom how to turn the Wi-Fi on. Maybe Google will start incorporating more memes into search results—oh wait, that’s what Bing’s been trying to do.

Let’s face it: Google’s trying to stay relevant, but it’s competing against an entire generation that prefers content in bite-sized, hilarious, and visual formats. Gone are the days of scholarly Google searches that require attention spans longer than a goldfish. So, yeah, Google is officially for the old folks now.

But... We’re Still Using It Anyway

Look, I get it—Google is still the OG search engine. It’ll always have a place in our hearts (and browsers). Whether you like it or not, we’re all still typing in "Google.com" like it's some kind of sacred ritual. It's just that now, instead of Googling our questions, we’re Googling how to stop feeling old for still Googling.

So, to Google, we say: Sorry, but the world’s changing, and you’re not exactly the cool kid on the block anymore. But don’t worry, we’ll still use you when we can’t find a meme for the joke we’re about to make. We just might be ChatGPT-ing for the answer next time.

Direct User Interface Comparison

Below is a comparison of the Google and ChatGPT user interfaces. One might say there's not much of a difference. I included a dark mode layout for ChatGPT, as I believe it is the most popular choice among its users. This also reflects the paradigm shift in how we use computers, screens, and the internet overall.

Anyone who still uses a cell phone or computer brightness slider to solve the 'lamp in the face' effect—like when reading in bed—has probably never heard of dark mode. So yeah, it all comes together, if you know what I mean.

Peter von Hauerland