Digital Tattoos: Proof That You Exist

Have you ever Googled yourself? Don't lie, this is a safe space! If you have, what kinds of information have you found? If you haven't why not? I've Googled myself, and my family members, for fun a few times, and I've been surprised by how little I've found readily available. 

Image Source: Google Search Screenshot

Most of the links on my results page came up as professional references on LinkedIn of other places of library employment, potentially due to fact that my social media presence and promotion is low, even though my usage is high. I tried looking for images of myself, and found that I was far from the first option in both Google and Microsoft Images (see the bottom left corner) and that the photo was from my time as a high schooler! These kinds of results are called digital tattoos, online identity markers that define and introduce people to you, regardless of whether you authorized it or not.

Image Source: Microsoft Bing Image Result Screenshot (I'm pictured in the lower lefthand corner)

It didn't really surprise me that I found so little on myself, given that my parents didn't get Facebook until  was in high school, and I wasn't allowed to have a social media until sophomore year of high school. My parents were unique in that they were wary of the Internet's long memory, and even less trusting of it's delete button, saying, "It's never really gone." Their wariness made them sound paranoid, especially to my teenage self, when it reality, they simply wanted my siblings and I to understand that who we presented ourselves as online had a lasting impact on our audience.

According to Pew Research Center, roughly 78% of Americans believe that the personal information they share online is relatively temporary and private, but also acknowledge that they have little control or understanding of the online data that has been collected. There are plenty of conspiracy theories about big companies or governments getting top secret private data from its citizens, when in reality the information is pretty freely available to just about everyone!

FastPeopleSearch is one such site, that searches Online Profiles, Criminal Records, Assets, and more to locate me, and provides quite personal information, such as my age, relatives, and marital status, among other things. 

Weirdly enough, it also ran my name through the lists of Sex Offenders, checked to see if I had gotten a DUI or committed tax fraud, and often cited warnings that the results may be upsetting to me - as if it contained something I had not known about myself! I personally have no issue with general information such as my age and marital status readily available, however having my home, relatives, phone number, and images are slightly more invasive and strange. 

Image Source: Personal Screenshot from FastPeopleSearch Results page.

I checked out some other search sites, such as Radaris and Instant Checkmate, who also performed the same kinds of scans, with varying results of success and accessibility. Many of these sites will require you to pay to receive your full report, which I don't recommend, but they are helpful regardless in determining how much of personal data exists. Additionally, I've learned a lot about a Mary Laffey who lives in Chicago and is a world class nurse, and discovered that some sites believe me to be a year older or younger than I actually am.

Even though discovering this kind of information can be equal parts entertaining and disconcerting, it's important to research what information about yourself people have access to, and how their perception of you can be swayed by your neglect to your image, or your careful cultivation of it. You can't "delete" what is already out there about you online, but you can add to it, enhance it, and show people what you want them to see. Knowledge is power, and knowing how to use the information already available to your advantage can be truly influential. Personal websites, social media posts, even blogs can share the real you with the digital world, and have a positive impact on the way people see you. I'd highly encourage you to do some digging on your own digital tattoos, just to see how much information you can find about yourself!

Not sure where to start? Google is often the best place to begin searching, and this article from Robert Irvine offers some great tips to help you find more accurate and untailored results.