Online search is becoming the main source individuals
use to find information about sports, politics, health, religion,
world issues, and other subjects that shape our views on
the world and how we live our lives. Of all internet users, 92%
use online search and are doing so on desktop and mobile,
with an average of 129 searches a month per person.
Search is designed to keep users engaged and serviced with
speed and brevity. As search engine usage increases around
the world and impact on behaviours becomes more of a
concern, we must understand how might the design of search
engine algorithms be affecting society’s ability to shape the
way we see the world. Is commerce compromising community
in user experience and design? Are we unknowingly being
sent into echo chambers with predictive and personalized
search algorithms. Is the fast and wide internet actually narrowing
the doors of perception we have been walking through
online for the last 30 years?

It is the right time for through exploratory research to better
understand the current and potential future impacts and
implications of search on society and citizens. I will employ
a literature review, first party participant research and document
a chronology of knowledge discovery and capture
in context to searching, sharing and storing of information,
along with a horizon scanning exercise with a focus on trends
research. The first-party human-based research will involve
the segmentation of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants to
explore whether there are patterns emerging within distinct
age groups. These methods will be deployed and findings will
be analyzed to ascertain what the issues might be and whether
people understand the complexities, powers, and abilities
of search engines.