Social Media Self-Audit

 

    Have you ever typed your name into Google and wondered what would pop up about you? You may be extremely surprised. 

    This past week I performed a self-audit on my Internet presence and was intrigued to find I had done a pretty decent job in keeping a low-profile online. It certainly helped that other Amelia Herbert's on the internet had done a lot of impressive things such as receiving a Fulbright scholarship at their respective university.

    I truly thought a few of my social media profiles would pop up in my Google search but I scrolled through the Facebook pages under my name and found my profile was not even in the top 10 of people with the same name as me. Another platform I include my full name on is Instagram and that page was nowhere to be found(at least easily accessible after looking through 12 plus pages on Google). The finding that shocked me the most was that the only trace I could find about me was linked to my LinkedIn profile picture. Under Google Images my profile picture popped up on page three, however when I clicked on it it did not take me to my profile but instead to the profile of my old workplace.  I had really only been found through the name of the restaurant I worked for all throughout high school. Interesting. 

    I had fun looking to see what people could find about me with just a simple search so i decided why not take this a step further and Google my parents names. Yep- there was the information I was looking for. My parents have both moved around a ton and some of the first websites that popped up were information based upon addresses they have lived and suspected family members. My name did come up on that list. My mom's picture on her company website also came up, funny that they had more of a traceable online presence than me when neither of my parents have social media accounts. 

    It is so interesting to me how much or even how little people can find out about you just through a simple Google search. I was pleased to find my presence was very minimal. However, if someone were to continue to look into what I post online they certainly would find that I am an HPU student from Maryland who loves spending time with her family and friends. And also doesn't mind the occasional jam session to Queen and John Mayer. Using this information going forward, I do hope to continue this lower profile on the Internet. I think making accounts private and continuing to regulate the type of content I post will help with this.
  USA Today published an article outlining how helpful a simple Google search of your name can be. I think this article provides for helpful information in anyone who wants to partake in a self-audit of their Internet presence.