Google’s Birthday and its Quality of Information

Google just celebrated its 26th birthday on September 27. As one of the most recognizable brands and most used search engines, it had 3.244 billion users in July 2024. 

As a pioneer in transforming the internet into what it is today, the brand became so synonymous with internet searches that people often use its name as a verb when searching for something online. 

An increasing number of people are shifting away from using good googling skills to find quality sources, instead opting to use pre-digested sources such as social media and AI chatbots. This is a worrying trend as these sources are less accurate and aren’t being questioned as closely.

In a Mycenaean Instagram poll asking “When researching a topic do you use social media/AI or news articles and other quality sources?”, 32% of Leesville students said they get information primarily from social media and AI.

Personalized social media algorithms pushing forward one-sided political commentators create an echo chamber effect. The echo chamber strengthens confirmation bias by only presenting the side of an argument an individual agrees with and not presenting multiple sides of an argument. 

Many news outlets are involved in the spread of low-quality information with a weak line between fact and opinion. Most news corporations, from Fox News to CNN, blend opinion pieces into factual pieces making it difficult to differentiate. This is misleading and dangerous journalism.

News and Media companies often focus on entertainment and shock value which usually increase profit. Some outlets also optimize their stories for Google’s algorithms emphasizing click-based articles over quality journalism. 

Trustworthy sources are valuable for all aspects of life, not just school assignments. Getting information from social media and AI can be quick and easy, but it’s important to use quality sources to double-check the information found. 

Emily Gagan, senior, said, “I usually use a few different websites for school, but if I’m just looking something up I use one just as long as it doesn’t sound wrong or weird.”

Ian Sharp, sophomore, said, “Usually I use websites to research, but sometimes I use Google’s AI tool which provides sources that I’ll read.”

Quality sources are important in all aspects of life, but they are especially important on school assignments and papers. Because Google’s platform is made to provide all sources related to a search, not all results are high quality or even true.

Mrs. Fields, one of Leesville’s Media Specialists, said, “I usually use some sort of quick checklist I’m looking for who published the site, whether it is maintained or updated regularly, when it was last updated, and whether the people who published it are actual experts in that field.”

Dr. Eagle, Biology and AP Environmental Science teacher, said, “I try to look at the author of where this information is coming from and whether it is a reputable site or not if I just see the name John Smith and there are no credentials I’m not too likely to count this informational as being valid but if I see something like the National Institute of Health published or someone with an MD or PhD indicating they did the research then I would accept that.”

While the Internet and Google are integral to modern life, it’s important to recognize that not all information found is accurate or useful. So, evaluating sources and information, whether it’s an online article or a random post on social media, is vital to staying informed.

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