Where do you search? Blog #2 - Pooja Sharma

 




Hi everyone, I believe an essential subject that we have begun to build the foundation of is the idea that social media has changed how we go about our everyday life. This has been established in the effects social media has had on culture, communication, power, media, and technology. In an article by The New York Times titled "For Gen Z, TikTok is the new Search Engine," it discusses the shift from using search engines such as Google as a source of information and opinion, to the use of social media platforms, specifically TikTok. The article goes on to say that the function of the TikTok search feature allows users to find videos that are made by real people rather than general answers found on Google. The real people have created a visual and generated concise and informational content. From reviews, locations to check out, or explanations, TikTok provides a platform for more opinions. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/technology/gen-z-tiktok-search-engine.html?searchResultPosition=3 

I have found that myself and others gravitate towards this way of finding information. For me, searching for food recipes, makeup products or information about the latest news is always on TikTok. After reading this article, I realized the shift in my life in where I choose to look for information. Prior to TikTok many used Google as a primary source of information, and if visual aid as required I often turned to YouTube. TikTok's broader and concise information has allowed it to become popular aside from its entertainment value. 

Although this platform is an excellent source of ideas and opinions, which can be seen through how it is popular as a searching tool, it also comes with criticisms and flaws on how much misinformation it contains. What do you usually search for on TikTok? Have you come across any misinformation, or have you believed the misinformation that is present on the app? 

Thanks, Pooja S.   

Comments

  1. StellaOctober 3, 2022 at 9:46 AM

    Hey Pooja, this is a great point! Google seemingly held a monopoly over the information that was available to us by constraining the ways in which we could view and interact with it. However, since Tiktok's rise in popularity, Google's power is being challenged as more and more people are opting to use the prior as a search engine instead.

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