Study reveals that Gen Z is increasingly TikTok videos instead of Google search

NewsGuard's study also revealed that TikTok prompted its users with biased search terms

TikTok is now more than a platform for food hacks and viral dances, Gen Z users are increasingly using it to replace Google as their primary search engine. A new study by NewsGuard that monitors misinformation and fake news over the internet found that one in five search results on the popular video platform TikTok contain misinformation. The study reviewed the top 20 search results across 27 different news topics varying from "mRNA vaccine" to "2022 election."

NewsGuard's study also revealed that TikTok prompted its users with biased search terms. For example, if a user searched for "Covid vaccine." TikTok would offer results and suggestions for more controversial search terms such as "Covid vaccine truths" or "Covid vaccine HIV."  Another example is that more than half of the search results that popped up about the 2022 midterm elections encompassed "hyper-partisan left-leaning rhetoric." The rampant misinformation on TikTok is especially significant given the number of home remedy videos circulating on the platform. The present baby formula shortage has led to a host of videos promoting DIY baby formula that pediatricians have concluded as "dangerous."