…just “Google” It
Have you ever had a scratchy throat or an aching left arm?
What do you do?
For the last 24 years…you probably "Googled" it.
Of course, that scratchy throat could be allergies, a winter cold, or even a symptom of COVID, but Google will say you have a rare terminal illness. So, what do you do? I end up going down that dark rabbit hole of dread, spiraling to the darkest corners of what my mind and imagination can create as I click link after link. Of course, chances are I have a cold. (Hint: If you think you are seriously ill, you should see a doctor, regardless of what Google says).
Yes, we have all fallen into that trap. "They," say that if you want to know something, Google it. Google is the new "expert." After all, if Google says it, it must be true. Keep in mind that Google, and all the other search engines are only data providers, not content creators. It may sound like semantics but in layman’s terms that means that the information is given to them and they make it available for us to request.
So, why am I talking about Google in this blog? Because Google is fun. It has stories about dinosaurs, bugs, lions, fire trucks, and bees. It is a 5-year-old's wonderland.
This isn't a Google-bashing party. After all, as I was growing up, the way we learned what we had, if we weren’t feeling good was early home remedies passed on from our grandparents, grandparents, or tried and true solutions used by our neighbors. Doctors were saved for the real serious issues. These solutions used were the precursor to Google. Was the information accurate? Probably...because it came from a content provider (the lady down the block) and if pushed, she would say that it is directionally correct.
Let's look behind the curtain of Google. They aim to give us a seamless experience with quick and accurate information options in seconds. It doesn't produce web content, and its information is accessible to all of us. Of course, I will state the obvious, they make their money charging advertisers to show ads in our search. There are other revenue-producing ways for Google but if you want to learn more about that, Google it. They have earned $469.7 billion, with a "b" in revenue in 2022, so free is a good option for us. But there is a price for free.
Not to get into the technobabble on the algorithm behind the curtain or how keyword searches work, but I want to share some tips to help you and your grandkids use all search engines smartly.
As you know, there's a lot of info online, and it can take time to evaluate what you find. Hopefully, these tips can help.
1- Learn more about where the info came from
This is where we pull out our critical thinking “cap” and determine if the information we are searching for is false or misleading by asking ourselves:
· What is the source? - Who created this content
· Are they knowledgeable about this topic - Are they credible, or is it an opinion piece
· Why is it sharing the information
2- Keyword searches are key
The information mystically appears when you type a word or phrase into the toolbar. For illustration purposes, I typed in "grandparents," and there were "about 425,000,000 results that I got in 0.64 seconds." That's a lot of data to sift through.
So, how to help your grandkids use this tool?
· Be specific on what they are trying to find information about and type that into the toolbar
· Use their critical thinking skills as discussed in #1
· Please read the article found and then practice paraphrasing what it says. Don't just copy it. That is plagiarism.
3 – Google says it is not tracking the information you typed in
Yes, they know our every keystroke, every subject, and our history of searches (saved in cookies). Still, they say that the artificial intelligence used is smart and auto-fills completes our sentences, so they can provide a better experience. "They" say that the data is secure and not being leaked to any third-party server, but I encourage you and your grandkids to clear your cookies often and make good choices.
Remember that Google is brilliant. They are marketing without marketing, which is totally subliminal. They are embedded into our lives and are getting our grandkids to trust and rely on them while they are young by associating Google as a fun, interactive source of content and info. Well, that's just plain genius.
Let's be a genius, too, and use all search engines wisely. I don’t think I am alone on this! We’d love to hear your stories on how you use technology.
Disclaimer: This blog isn't about trademark infringement, but I feel obligated to share that Google is a heavily protected trademark that has become a verb and is used by many people when referring to the act of searching the internet using other search engines, like Safari, Firefox, etc. Google, like most companies, dreams of the day its trademark becomes mainstream, but the correct term is search engines and not Google when gathering information.
