Since its launch in 1997, Google has become the leading online search engine with over 45 billion searches annually, according to the website. The website has been used so heavily that the word “Google” is an accepted term for searching online (“Google it”). As the Internet and social media have advanced, however, the number of Google searches has decreased in favor of other platforms. The biggest culprit, however, is the trending Gen Z application “TikTok”.

According to Google’s Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan, “about 40% of kids these days don’t go to Google Maps or even a Google Search when they go out for lunch. Instead, they go to TikTok”. Part of the reason for this phenomenon, some believe, is because TikTok appeals to a younger audience through its song videos and effects/transitions. As such, TikTok is even surpassing YouTube in views with over 1 million users using the former.

Raghavan announces new Google features to keep up with its competitor including “the ability for users to pan their camera over an area and instantly glean insights about multiple objects in a wider scene”. Raghavan continues saying, “We face robust competition from an array of sources, including general and specialized applications as well as search engines”.

TikTok’s presence has become so prominent that it has posed threats to other social media websites such as Instagram and Snapchat. As such, these platforms have released their own video features such as Reels and Spotlight, respectively. Even so, statistics show that, by 2024, TikTok’s user count will overtake other social media platforms b over 20%.

Google may not be outdated but it will be difficult for the search engine to keep up with the likes of TikTok. After all, TikTok is quicker and more convenient while Google has left a strong legacy on our access to information. With 40% of younger people choosing TikTok as the ideal information source, a new generation of technology is about to be born!