Kids turn to Google for help
2013-02-28 22:27
London - British grandparents are in danger of being
overlooked for advice by their grandchildren, who are more accustomed to
searching for answers on the internet, a survey showed on Thursday.
Almost nine out of every 10 UK grandparents claimed their
grandchildren failed to ask them for advice for simple tasks, instead turning
to online channels such as Google, YouTube and Wikipedia for information.
Answers on how to boil an egg, iron a shirt and even
details on their own family history are now easily found by younger generations
glued to their smartphones, tablet computers or laptops, according to research
commissioned by cleaning products firm Dr Beckmann.
"Grandparents believe they are being sidelined by
Google, YouTube, Wikipedia and the huge resource of advice available on the
internet," spokesperson Susan Fermor said in a statement.
"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."
The survey of 1 500 grandparents also found that children
chose to research what life was like for their elderly relatives in their youth
rather than asking the grandparents themselves, with just 33% of grandparents
having been asked: “What was it like when you were young?”
Almost two-thirds of grandparents felt their traditional
roles were becoming less and less important in modern family life, with 96%
claiming that they asked far more questions of their own grandparents when they
were young.
