Google Takes the Place of Grandma

A British study shows that children rely on Google to tell them about the old days or how to boil an egg

Grandparental wisdom and oral history are being ignored by children relying on Google and the Internet for answers.

The survey of 1,500 grandparents, created by a U.K. cleaning products company Dr. Beckmann, said that  90 percent of grandparents claimed their grandchildren didn't ask them how to do simple tasks and instead turned to the Internet, according to Reuters. Some of the tasks include boiling an egg, ironing a shirt and sewing a button. Grandparents also found that instead of asking them about history and genealogy, grandchildren also consumed Wikipedia and Google.

"Grandparents believe they are being sidelined by Google, YouTube, Wikipedia and the huge resource of advice available on the internet," spokeswoman Susan Fermor said. "They are aware that their grandchildren, already with their noses buried in a laptop, tablet computer or smartphone, find it much easier to search the internet for instant advice."

Not surprisingly, when the grandparents were questioned only a third were asked about life when they were young. Ninety-six percent said they asked their grandparents more questions.
 
We don't find it surprising that 96 percent of grandparents said they asked more questions when they were young -- they also likely walked 16 miles uphill in the snow to get to school. However, asking elders for advice or help is a way to enjoy connection -- and we mean the human kind, not Wi-Fi.
Contact Us