Why has Google become the most important part of our lives? Perhaps because Google touches almost everything on the internet? I run into it on almost every site and every app that I use.
Google hangout, Gmail, Google docs, Google drive, Google sheets, Google Assistant… Google never disappoints. Google matches the fast-paced lives we have and it suits us perfectly.
While helping my son with his Afrikaans oral, I could not for the life of me remember the word for favourite. I asked him for his dictionary and he had this blank look. ‘Why not just Google it mom?’ was his reply.
Last month American President Donald Trump (someone save America and the world) issued an executive order that meant US-based companies were restricted from doing business with Huawei unless they had a special licence, so Google had to limit the access Huawei phones had to its services. The world went into panic mode.
Google has become such an integral part of our personal and business lives and one has to wonder – what did we do before Google?
For work, all of my presentations and important documents sit in the Google drive. I host meetings on Google Hangout with local and international clients. Why spend thousands on telephone bills?
I access my personal and work emails from Google. I am brave to explore my province because of Google Maps. Google Maps doesn’t just get you to places, it drives many of the other apps you use, including Uber. How would James know where I am going? We would end up in some shady places if I was expected to read an atlas.
Google has a special part in my brain. I actually think Google is my brain
All my family pictures are backed up with Google photos. I run my home with Google Assist. I deserve a Google Play store fan badge with the number of apps I download to make my life easier and fun. I feel like I know every language under the sun thanks to Google Translate.
My kids would die without their YouTube – we would have to watch endless repeats on DStv! Google Calendar tells me what I need to do any given day. Google Chrome is how I browse the internet on my computer. I get most of my music from Spotify, whose music is hosted in Google Cloud.
I use the search function to help me find answers to anything and everything. Sometimes I find myself searching for things I already know just to get confirmation. Google Search is by far the most widely used search engine on desktop and mobile devices.
On average, 1.17 billion people use Google Search! Walk into a room and you are guaranteed to find someone surfing the web, killing time and filling their minds with information (good and bad) – thanks to Google. It is said that the average person performs three to four searches a day. I can tell you right now I pass that figure before even getting out of bed.
I don’t remember half the passwords to the sites I visit but Google does. I use Google Analytics and Google ads for work. I rely on Google for that SEO traffic.
Every now and then when I get fed up with my job I turn to Google. The company has worked with partners including LinkedIn, Monster, and Career Builder to aggregate search in one place. My husband changed his car’s water pump with the help of Google Lens.
Google has a special part in my brain. I actually think Google is my brain.
With the ever-increasing use of Google, our exposure to the world has also increased tremendously. The world has become a smaller place because of Google.
To get Google out of your life is a big undertaking. Could you live without it? Is it possible to live your life – and do your job – without it these days?
Charis Apelgren-Coleman is the head of digital content at Kagiso Media. She has worked with small and large local organisations as well as large multinational organisations, while managing specialist content teams.
