More people are Googling themselves — and many are checking out their friends, co-workers and romantic interests, too.
In a report Sunday, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said 47 per cent of U.S. adult internet users have looked for information about themselves through Google or another search engine.
That is more than twice the 22 per cent of users who did in 2002, but Pew senior research specialist Mary Madden was surprised the growth wasn't higher.
"Yes it's doubled, but it's still the case that there's a big chunk of internet users who have never done this simple act of plugging their name with search engines," she said. "Certainly awareness has increased, but I don't know it's necessarily kept pace with the amount of content we post about ourselves or what others post about us."
About 60 per cent of internet users said they aren't worried about the extent of information about themselves online, despite increasing concern over how that data can be used.
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In a report Sunday, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said 47 per cent of U.S. adult internet users have looked for information about themselves through Google or another search engine.
That is more than twice the 22 per cent of users who did in 2002, but Pew senior research specialist Mary Madden was surprised the growth wasn't higher.
"Yes it's doubled, but it's still the case that there's a big chunk of internet users who have never done this simple act of plugging their name with search engines," she said. "Certainly awareness has increased, but I don't know it's necessarily kept pace with the amount of content we post about ourselves or what others post about us."
About 60 per cent of internet users said they aren't worried about the extent of information about themselves online, despite increasing concern over how that data can be used.
Full story
Have you Googled your own name? What about friends and co-workers?
More...
