“I’ve seen Google before!”: Young children's intuitions about Google's capabilities
Abstract
Google Search is a popular tool for acquiring information online, but little is known about children's trust in search engines. Across two studies conducted in 2021-2024, 240 4- to 8-year-old children (122 boys, 118 girls; 75% White; 92% non-Hispanic) were asked whether they trusted Google and a teacher to answer questions about stable information (e.g., geographical locations) and changing information (e.g., the weather). With increasing age, children endorsed Google at higher rates and the teacher at lower rates. When asked about the Internet and an unfamiliar search engine, children endorsed Google and the Internet more often than an unfamiliar search engine. Children's intuitions about search engines changed with development, with younger children relying more on familiarity as a cue to trust.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Child Development and Digital Technology
Educational Strategies and Epistemologies
Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Child Development
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Volume
- 97
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 137–153
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN