Observers across a wide swath of disciplines are searching high and low for Gen Z insights. This is not limited to the Happy Advertising People who, it seems, invented the Baby Boomer generation. They made lots of money. Other sector researchers are scouring Gen Z (Zoomers) for that generational insight. Zoomers, most realize, are 13 to 25 years old, mostly sheltered by parents, sometimes in school and always changing their minds because their eyes are glued to TikTok.
Language is always a good starting point for tracking down cultural trends. Bernstein Research, an investment analyst, revealed research led by internet analyst Mark Shmulik showing Zoomers are no longer using the verb “to google’ as much, preferring ‘to search’, reported Business Insider (September 7). “I feel like being a verb matters in internet given scale, network effects and a technology advantage,” he said. “I think if you de-verb now, it’s because tech and user behavior has moved forward.” In other words, he explained, “The verb 'to google' is dead.”
“If you have teenagers, try asking them to look something up online and explain what they're doing while they're doing it, and see what they say,” he continued. Oh, my, where goeth ubiquity? It was just in 2006 when the Merriam-Webster and Oxford dictionaries added ‘to google’ as a verb. Shortly after those additions Google (the company) politely asked one and all to check their manner of speaking lest they fall into the trademark trap plaguing the Xerox Corporation since the middle of the last century.