Kids Ditch 'Google It' for 'Search It Up': The Rise of Multisource Information Seeking

Generations of kids have grown up asking their parents to help them find information online. But nowadays, when a tween says 'can I use your phone to search it up,' they're not always referring to Google.

The phrase 'search it up' has become the preferred way for Gen Alpha and Gen Z to describe searching for information, according to Ryan L. Boyd, a psychologist and computational social scientist at Vanderbilt University. This shift in language is a reflection of how kids are accessing information today, not just through Google, but also on TikTok, YouTube, and AI chatbots.

The change isn't new, though. The phrase 'search it up' has been around since the 2000s, and it's been gaining popularity among younger generations ever since. In fact, the Oxford English Dictionary traces its origins back to the 1500s.