14% of Gen Z Already Use TikTok Like Google

If you need to do some research online, chances are that you would start your journey by entering a search query into Google. That is, you might start off with Google, unless you’re one of the 14% of Gen Z who prefer to use TikTok instead. The social media platform became a roaring success not too long ago thanks it its unique algorithm as well as its focus on short form content, but it is also being used as a source of information.

Whenever a major news event occurs, around 48% of Baby Boomers, 47% of Gen X and 46% of Millennials end up going to Google Search. By comparison, only around 39% of adults who belong to the Gen Z cohort said the same. Only 2% of all adults would go to TikTok for the same type of researching experience, but in spite of the fact that this is the case the proportion for Gen Z was as high as 14% with all things having been considered and taken into account.


With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that YouTube also tends to be an important source of information for Gen Z who want to get the best possible coverage of major news events. 13% of Gen Z said that YouTube is the first platform that they end up going to in order to learn more. On the other hand, only 4% of Baby Boomers said the same.

However, it should be noted that YouTube was relatively popular with Gen X and Millennials as well. 11% of Gen Xers and 10% of Millennials go to YouTube in order to stay up to date with the news because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up showing them videos that can cover the story properly and provide all of the necessary context that they might require.

There are a couple of other platforms that Gen Z tends to prefer as well, namely Twitter and Instagram. 7% of Gen Z and 6% of Millennials end up going to Twitter, and the numbers for Instagram were 6% and 5% respectively for each generation. Meanwhile, only 3% of Gen X goes to Twitter for the news, and 1% go to Instagram. As for Baby Boomers, a meager 1% go to Twitter, and absolutely none of them even think of using Instagram for the same purpose.

Interestingly, Millennials were the cohort that tend to go to Facebook the most whenever they need information regarding a major event that is being covered by the news. 14% of Millennials go to Facebook, which makes it fair to call Facebook the TikTok for the Millennial generation. Just 6% of Gen Z use Facebook for a similar purpose, which indicates that the once dominant social media platform is not appealing to the younger demographics quite as much as they used to.

Baby Boomers have a strong preference for sites that belong to news publishers themselves, with 14% saying that they go there to get their news updates. 7% of Millennials and 6% of Gen Z said the same, along with 9% of Gen X.

H/T: Morningconsult

Read next: Here’s How Much Apps Can Earn From Each Individual User
Previous Post Next Post