From “Scuba Diving” to “Jet Skiing”? Information Behavior, Political Science, and the Google Generation

Abstract

It is often suggested that the swift arrival of a world shaped by information superabundance—symbolized by the astonishing growth in popularity of the digital search engine Google—has changed the manner in which many learn. A particular concern of some is the perception that younger people have turned away from books and long articles and have taken to regarding the Internet uncritically as the fount of all knowledge. This anxiety has been reflected with recent growth in literature about the so-called “Google generation,” in which it assumed that changes in the manner in which young people access information will necessitate major reforms to the higher education system. This article will examine these claims and will present findings—from the United Kingdom and United States—that suggest a more nuanced picture of this particular cohort of students than has sometimes been presented. This will be followed by recommendations that have been made to address some remaining issues, particularly those pertinent to students of political science.

Keywords:

• Google generation
• information literacy
• information obesity

I would like to thank the anonymous reviewers, James Sloam, and the many wonderful information specialists and students whose efforts I've been taking the credit for over the last few years.