Just Ask Google. Have you come across these advertisements yet? If not, guess what? You can google it! (Aren’t I funny? Insert sarcasm). Perhaps my initial reaction stems from the current pressure I am feeling to convince these precious young college students in front of me every day that they do indeed have something to learn from their courses; but when I witnessed a young couple attempting a house fixer upper with the only requirement being to Just Ask Google, I was shaking my head back and forth while muttering, “What? Wait! No, just no!”
Although the sentiment to Just Ask Google makes a home remodel Look Easy, it concerns me that this just might be the mentality Emerging Generations take in all their endeavors. As if being an educator in Christian higher education isn’t challenging enough with increasing Artificial Intelligence capabilities, I now have a $3 trillion (yes, that’s the letter T) company telling my students that everything they need to know can be found on their browser. That’s communicating to an entire generation that learning and experience are completely unnecessary. Oh, you want to remove my appendix, you don’t need medical school because, guess what? You can Just Ask Google!
This shrewd ad campaign will not be the last iteration we will witness of people desiring to take short cuts in life—remember Staple’s easy button or the “No, I’m Not an Expert, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night”? We live in a video-gaming world where people are often seeking “hacks” or “cheats” to move further along without the necessary experience of the trials and errors it takes to succeed at any level. People are unable to Follow Where They’ve Been because they have no interest in gaining the skills required to become excellent at something, much less to become an Expert.
So what is the answer to navigating this complicated issue? At what point does a time-saving method that boosts efficiency become a shortcut that bypasses the very processes we need to understand in order to measure the time we’ve actually saved? (And don’t think I just didn’t ask Artificial Intelligence to assist me in phrasing that sentence). Oh, the irony! Whether it’s learning the steps in a mathematical equation that calculators now do for you or how to read a map to get from point A to point B instead of using GPS, how does a parent or teacher know when we are removing any necessary steps to learning? That the learning is sometimes more important than the knowledge. Trust Me, I can know the physics and the physiology involved in connecting a bat to a ball, but that does not equate to me being able to walk onto a field and perform that task.
Because I am certainly Not an Expert on anything, but desire that every generation flourish at life, I am engaging in a genuine and authentic search for potential answers for how to best guide Emerging Generations. Perhaps you have wisdom and expertise to share to aid this middle-aged educator in navigating the current complexities of today’s world. If so, please feel free to share in the comments below. Not only do I now feel the struggle of not only communicating content, but there is the added burden of emphasizing the why, now more than ever, if I am to answer the often-heard question, “Why can’t I just google it?”
References:
Google. (2025, June 13). Fixer upper? Just Ask Google. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP3ChiiX-l0
Google. (2025, June 13). Just Ask Google. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=386Cw1vKOfI
Holiday Inn Express. (2015, March 31). Holiday Inn Express surgeon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHCTaUFXpP8
Staples. (2025, May 28). Staples ‘That was Easy’ button turns 20 years old. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W29VR_GaEo
Flourishing @ Life 
he balance between efficiency and depth. It’s true—mastery often lies not just in knowing what to do, but in understanding how and why we do it. Your example about knowing the physics behind hitting a baseball versus actually being able to do it is spot-on.
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I really liked reading your blog post. It brought up a great point about how relying on quick answers can undermine deeper learning. The way you connected the ad campaign tagline to broader issues around education was amazing. As a student, I’ve myself been tempted by shortcuts like just googling something to finish a math problem instead of engaging fully with the learning process. Your reminder that “the learning is sometimes more important than the knowledge” made me stop and think that the struggle and effort are part of what makes it easier down the road. Your post motivates me to try just a little harder in the classroom, ask better questions, and enjoy the process of learning rather than just the answer. Thank you for the great blog post, much-needed reminder, and challenge.
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Hey! This post is great! I think with how fast technology is growing, it’s definitely an important conversation to have. I totally see where you’re coming from about the “just ask google” mindset, but there is another side to consider too. I actually believe using Google or AI can be really helpful when they are used in the right way. As a college student, I know once I move on to my future career, these tools are going to be available and widely used. So why not use them to my advantage? I don’t mean solely relying on them, but using them to brainstorm, organize my thoughts, or even use them to find sources to build off of. It doesn’t replace the actual learning process for me, but it gives somewhere to start.
I think the real issue isn’t technology itself, but how people use it. Instead of these tools being discouraged, teachers and parents should be growing with them and teaching others how to use them in the correct way. Because no matter what, google and AI are here to stay and are only going to keep upgrading.
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