A Future of Britain survey published yesterday found that God and Google are on a par when it comes to trust. 17% of people in the study said they trusted the omnipresent force (Google that is), as much as putting their faith and trust in religion. The search giant dominates 67% of internet searches in the UK and the findings have not surprised many, as Britons place more and more emphasis on technology within their lives.
Yet Sainsburys and Tesco ranked higher than this with 19% of respondents saying these supermarkets were trustworthy, even after the horse meat scandal! The NHS came out on top as the most trustworthy institution with 37% of the vote, followed by the police force at 26%.
Ultimately I wonder what the results would be in a few years time. Will people begin to see Google as a major driving force, one that could surpass beliefs held for many years? It seems to define a cultural shift and say a lot about the way people live, if so much trust is placed in something that could crash if there’s a power cut.
