Children would prefer to ask Google whenever they have questions....

Daddy no longer knows best? Most children would prefer to ask Google if they have a question - not their parents

By Rob Waugh
PUBLISHED: 08:02 GMT, 9 March 2012 | UPDATED: 08:02 GMT, 9 March 2012

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Most six to 15 year olds would turn to the search engine first, with 54 per cent saying they¿d ask Google before their parents or teachers

When under-15s have pressing questions, parents might hope that they’d turn to them for help – but it seems that most youngsters would prefer to ask Google.

Most six to 15 year olds would turn to the search engine first, with 54 per cent saying they’d ask Google before their parents or teachers. 

Only one quarter of children would ask their parents first over Google.
Encylcopedias came in a VERY poor last place – with one quarter of children admitting they don’t know what one IS.


Almost half of all children - 45% -have never used a print encyclopaedia and nearly a fifth - 19% -  have never used a print dictionary.

Guesses as to the strange 'encyclopedia' device’s function included that an ‘encyclopedia’ might be something you travel on or use to perform an operation.

Teachers also fared badly in the research conducted by Birmingham Science City.

Only three per cent of children aged six to fifteen would ask their teacher for an answer.

The survey of 500 children highlighted how central technology has become to young lives. Almost half of children use Google at least five times day.

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Dr Pam Waddell, Director of Birmingham Science City, commented on the findings: 

‘With children now growing up in an environment where digital technology is accepted as standard, we wanted to see just how this has affected their approach to research and exploration. 


'It’s not surprising that with answers at the touch of the button, youngsters often Google questions before asking parents, friends or teachers.

‘However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  It shows just how commonplace digital technology is for children today and how comfortable they are with using it.


'Children, no matter what generation they grow up in, have an inquisitive and curious nature, and so the fact they are able to use new technology to explore this is a positive sign for the future.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2112223/Most-children-prefer-ask-GOOGLE-question-parents.html#ixzz1p0yp9uKZ