Digital Tattoos

How many tattoos do you have? I have eight. My favorite is on my forearm, and it is a replicate of a pendant gifted to be by my aunt years ago. Now, this pendant is in remembrance of her. 

Image Source: Author

Like tattoos, people leave stamps of their identities on the web--stamps that are permanent and reveal our interests, families, statuses, values and more. Like tattoos, some of these stamps are thoughtful and maybe even beautiful where others are...regrettable. We have all seen (or even have) bad tattoos and have witnessed people's questionable choices plastered on social media. 

My mother-in-law likes to exclaim, "You should think about it for at least a year before getting a tattoo, or you will regret it!" While this may seem excessive (especially when we are thinking about leaving a mark on the internet,) the idea that we should put thought into what we are marking permanently is valid. With that in mind, I decided to explore some of my "tattoos" online. 

Mining for Digital Tattoos

Being part of Gen Z, digital citizenship was a concept my teachers discussed in high school, so I have always had an awareness that what I post online does not go away. As a student, this was taught in a way that created fear. I became afraid of posting online, and as a result, my web presence appears superficial, without revealing much of my identity. 

Image Source: Amazon

Viewing Nicole Zumpano's presentation about the book Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis has made me think critically about my web presence, and I am curious to explore being more "public," and as a result, sharing more of my identity. At the very least, I am adding the book to my reading list. 

So, I dove into my digital existence with the assumption that I will find my social media accounts, where I primarily share about my family and vacations (although now I'm growing my PLN with X,) information about my time in college, and the cities in which I've lived. I wasn't far off.

My Findings

Websites helping you dig up all of your darkest secrets (and those of your friends and family) on the internet has become quite the industry, I have learned. The number of sites giving warnings about learning disturbing information about loved ones is kind of comical. 

Image Source: Truthfinder

I started my search where most people start any research, Google. A quick Google search led me to a lot of Madison Wilkes that are not me. The first hit that was me was to my Medium blog, which is interesting because I have only posted one blog post to the account. Google also led me to my YouTube account, staff directory, and a literary publication that I worked on as a prose editor during college, Satori. If you're interested, give it a read here. I was pleased that all three of those Google hits are spaces where I exist online in my professional life. 

Image Source: Winona State University

I then headed to Nuwber, which did not have current or accurate information about me. It thought I was a year younger than I am, and it had my previous Chicago address. Zabasearch, however, identified my current home address and got my age correct. Truthfinder provided more specific information, including identifying my mom, dad, step-mom, and sister-in-law, which is interesting that the site identified my sister-in-law but not my brother. FamilyTreeNow was able to identify one of my brothers; however, I have another adult brother that did not come up on any of the sites. Radaris provided the most information about me, including my hometown, last couple places of residency, as well as a collection of family members. What was really strange about Radaris is that like Truthfinder, it identified my mom, dad, step-mom, and sister-in-law, but it also identified my aunt's brother-in-law as a relative. How random!

TruePeopleSearch generated the most information on me of the sites I explored. The site listed my cities of residency (with the exception of one), my current address (including a picture of my house), a list of relatives including my parents, step-mom, grandparents, and one uncle. It also is the only site that associated me with my husband, which is surprising to me because we have a marriage license. TruePeopleSearch also listed a phone number for me, however, it is incorrect, so don't call it and expect to find me. My husband's listed phone number on the site, though, is his parents' landline. Ultimately, most of the information about me across websites is the same. 

None of the information I found was particularly surprising or alarming; however, none of it was that interesting or unique, either. My existence online is dull, failing to capture me.

Reflection

Having an understanding that what we post online is there to stay, just as tattoos become a permanent part of us, is critical in protecting our safety and personal and professional lives. That being said, I am learning to view my life in the digital sphere as an opportunity--something to promote-- rather than something to be afraid of or simply protect.

We, as teachers, have a responsibility to teach digital citizenship and digital tattoos to young people; however, we must be careful in how we approach the topic. We need to teach young people to use caution but not to be fearful. Young people today are "public by default, private through effort," as described by Nicole Zumpano in reflection of Jarvis' Public Parts. If the default is being public, then we need to teach young people to express their identities in meaningful ways. To teach the benefits of being public. 

For me personally, if I am going to have digital tattoos regardless, I'd like my tattoos to be meaningful and reflective of me.