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Just Google It” Isn’t Mentorship

#webdev #mentorship #programming #react

You’ve just asked your senior dev a question.

Their reply?
“Just Google it.”

It sounds like a fair response.
After all, we should be self-sufficient.
But here's the truth:

“Just Google it” isn’t mentorship.
It’s the quickest way to stall growth, demotivate juniors, and damage team culture.

Let’s talk about why — and what real mentorship looks like in web development.

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Why “Just Google It” Fails

Sure, Google is powerful. So is Stack Overflow, ChatGPT, and Docs.
But saying “just Google it” assumes that:

  • You know what to search
  • You can identify the right answer
  • You understand the context around the problem

Beginners often don’t.
Even experienced devs sometimes struggle to phrase the right query.

👉 Googling is a skill.
Just like debugging, writing tests, or designing APIs.

And telling someone to "just Google it" is like handing them a map without teaching them how to read it.

What Real Mentorship Looks Like

✅ A good mentor doesn’t give away answers.
But they guide you toward them.

Here’s what helpful guidance might look like instead:

  • “Try searching for ‘React uncontrolled vs controlled components’ — that’ll give you some solid context.”
  • “This looks like an async/await issue — check out this MDN guide on handling promises.”
  • “Before diving into that bug, here’s a quick code snippet to isolate it. Try this:” 
const fetchData = async () => {
  try {
    const response = await fetch('/api/data');
    if (!response.ok) throw new Error('Network response failed');
    const result = await response.json();
    console.log(result);
  } catch (err) {
    console.error('Error:', err);
  }
};
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Even just pointing someone to a good GitHub repo, a Medium article, or a tutorial makes a big difference.
That’s not spoon-feeding. That’s mentoring.

Mentorship Isn’t a Role — It’s a Mindset

You don’t need to be a “Tech Lead” or “Senior Developer” to be a mentor.
If you’ve solved a problem someone else is facing, you're already in a position to share.

Think about:

By giving context and direction, you’re teaching someone how to think — not just what to think.

Why Teams That Mentor Perform Better

Mentorship helps:

  • Reduce repetitive bugs
  • Build confidence in juniors
  • Increase team-wide problem-solving speed
  • Create knowledge transfer that scales

And here’s the kicker — mentorship creates better mentors.
Teaching helps you master the topic even more deeply.

You’ll realize gaps in your own understanding too.

How to Replace “Just Google It” With Real Support

Here’s what you can say instead:

function debounce(fn, delay) {
  let timeoutId;
  return function (...args) {
    clearTimeout(timeoutId);
    timeoutId = setTimeout(() => fn.apply(this, args), delay);
  };
}
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  • “This part confused me too — I wrote a blog post about it, want me to share it?”

This shows that you care.
And that makes you the kind of dev people want to work with.

Let’s Build a Culture of Teaching — Not Gatekeeping

The phrase “Just Google it” can feel like a wall.
Let’s be the ones who build bridges, not walls.

Every dev remembers someone who helped them when they were stuck.
You can be that person.

So next time a junior asks a question… pause.

Give them something better than “Google it.”

👉 If you found this helpful, share it with someone on your team.
💬 Have you experienced this in your dev journey? Let’s talk in the comments!

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