Search is the future? The young search less for files

There are two main ways to retrieve files: hierarchical folder navigation and query-based search using a search engine. Research consistently shows that users prefer retrieving files using folder navigation, rather than more flexible query-based search. But desktop search engines continue to improve, so does this mean that younger generations rely more on search as their usage habits were formed when experiencing more effective search? This study tested age effects on search use by asking 289 participants to retrieve 1,557 of their shared files. Counterintuitively, our results showed a positive correlation between age and search percentage, with participants over fifty searching over four times as much as participants in their twenties. Results were confirmed by an n = 653 combined data analysis. A possible explanation is that older participants forget the location of their files. We discuss the deep neuro-cognitive roots of navigation preference which may also explain our findings.