Investigating myself brought a whole new level of anxiety I did not believe could exist. I mentioned in another post that talking about myself is something that I truly dislike. This felt very similar to that feeling. The anxiousness of not knowing what I can find is what made that feeling intensify. After the extensive search, I realized that there really was not much to be anxious about. There was not a lot of crazy information that I ran into. After completing my search through multiple websites, I realized that my digital tattoo is like one of those really small tattoos that you can probably put in places where they are not noticeable, like a small flower, heart, star, moon, star, etc.
After multiple searches through different websites, the majority of the digital information that I found about myself were my age, previous and current addresses, relatives (although some were not always correct), and my phone number (sometimes it would be my mother’s number and/or the old landline that my parents used to have). I found this information in websites like: Nuwber, Radaris, PeopleFinders, PeekYou, InstantCheckmate, Truthfinder, Fast People Search, True People Search, and Family Tree Now. In these same websites, some shared additional information like my marital status, my husband’s name, my property details, one very old email that I have, and even my zodiac sign.
There were very few pictures that I found. One of the pictures that I was not surprised to see was the picture that is posted in my network’s website under the staff directory. The second picture that I ran into when conducting the image searches was a screenshot of one of my Youtube videos that I posted for one of my previous courses. Finally, the last picture that I ran into that was truly surprising to see was a very old picture that I posted on my Facebook maybe 6-7 years ago as a profile picture. Under the Google Image search, that picture of myself, daughter, and husband was found in Radaris. Take a look at those.
Image Source: personal video posted on Youtube.com
Image source: personal photo shared on radaris.com
I think my miniature digital tattoo was clearly recognized when I googled my name. It took me some scrolling, maybe about 10 pages, before I reached the two pages that I recognized were about me. The first one was my Network’s website to identify me in the
Staff Directory. It was only on this page that my job title was recognized. The other website that populated for me in the Google search was my
Youtube Channel. Facebook is the only Social Media account that I have and that page did not populate in any of the searches that I did for any of the websites that I investigated. When I researched for any possible files, none were populated. Finally, I did not see any of my hobbies listed anywhere.
Image source: aceroschools.org
Reactions?
I am not surprised that I was not able to find much about myself on the internet and to learn that I carry such a small digital tattoo. This is mostly because, as I have shared in other posts previously, I am not very tech savvy so I do not spend my time a lot on the internet. Also, I do not have Instagram, Twitter, or Tik Tok accounts. What truly shocked me, though, was how easy it is for anyone to find my personal information such as my birthday, current address, phone number, and even who my family is. It is so scary for me to think that anyone really could access that information.
Image source: giphy.com
Final Thoughts
After completing the search on myself, I do consider it important to teach these skills to students. In my teaching experience, I have, unfortunately, had students that trusted the wrong people, shared way too personal photos, and then those photos have been shared to multiple people. If you teach students the importance and seriousness of how anything posted or digitally created, really does not go away, situations like that could be hopefully avoided or eliminated. I think students as young as Middle School or even a few younger years is a great place to start. Most of these students would most likely already own a phone, and it would be the parents’ responsibility to explain how it should be used responsibly. Teachers and counselors do have some responsibility for teaching these skills in the classroom setting. They can be offered as workshops or through the Advisory classes. These skills and or concepts could also be given through an assembly or even a play at school where students can see the importance of being digitally responsible. Ultimately, teachers, counselors, and parents all have a different but important role in teaching the young minds to carry those digital tattoos well.
Image source: giphy.com
Hi Angelica, your post was so well done. I completely agree the level of anxiety when researching one's personal digital tattoo is very intense. You make a great point of how important it is to teach these skills in schools. I like the idea of teaching in an assembly or a play because it is a great way for the students to remember.
ReplyDeleteHi Angelica! I agree with you that we as educators need to teach our students about the significance of responsible digital behavior. Sharing real-life examples of the lasting consequences of online actions can impart the importance of digital responsibility. Empowering parents to guide their children in navigating the digital landscape is also crucial. Introducing workshops, advisory classes, and even school-wide initiatives to foster digital awareness among students can play a vital role in shaping their digital presence and understanding of privacy. Thanks for sharing!
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