Google has progressed from being known as a worldwide phenomenon, to simply a standard in the way we conduct our Internet lifestyle. I’m actually quite shocked that Word has identified ‘Google’ as a spelling error. It’s an indispensable tool used and loved by all. I must confess that it’s so effective, that I sometimes use it to find pages on websites for which I know the URL, because I know that Google will find what I’m looking for faster than me.

It’s almost too easy. No, wait, it IS to easy. Why? – because it’s made us complacent, lazy and incapable of thinking for ourselves.

Think back to the last time you did research for a project. You probably spent about 10 minutes on Google looking for references. Maybe you even tried a few variations on the keywords used for the search before you were confident that all relevant info available in the universe had been accessed. How about some images to go with that? – certainly. Just make sure you ignore the little clause that states ‘…subject to copyright’ before you download, and you’ll be fine. Research complete. I wonder how many business plans have been preceded by a 10 minute Google search?

I’m going to go out on a limb here say this: Google does not have all the answers.

The Google age has also made the world spin a bit faster. The idea of instant results has eroded our deadline times because of higher levels of expectations. I need it yesterday. Do we expect the same Google-like performance from our fellow humans? Have you ever got frustrated by a colleague that didn’t do what you asked right there and then? I know I have: “what do you mean you couldn’t find a plugin that makes my web browser bake blueberry muffins?”

Another symptom of the google effect is an unwillingness to think for ourselves. By nature, we are lazy creatures, and we’ve been offered the ultimate shortcut. In some ways, it’s almost like an artificial online brain, that we can adopt via a network cable. Plug it in, and you’re instantly an expert on anything you like. Wait! - a colleague has just suggested to me that I Google the title of this article, and see what comes up… Phew, ok, it seems I haven’t copied anyone’s ideas yet… (Thanks to Steve for that)

Need to know the meaning of life/existence/the universe? Google it now, and you’ll have access to endless unqualified and bias opinions (maybe this is one of them?), and plenty angry rants. If Google found it somewhere, it must be credible. What about the stuff Google doesn’t find? – did you know that ultimately, Google monitors and blocks all content at will? Google will only find what it wants you to find. And as we become more reliant on Google as our ultimate source of information, this will start to become a little scary…

By now, it should be apparent to the reader that the problem here is not Google, but rather us: the way we use it and the amount of trust we place in the content it finds. Google is merely the tool. In the same way that the spanner didn’t invent the car, but was rather the tool that aided it’s creation, Google is indeed a powerful tool, but we should still be the brains behind the operation.

You are the Lone Ranger, and Google is your fearless sidekick Tonto. Are you still the hero in this story?