Tattoos
In September of 2016, I got a tattoo. Even though I was 24 years old, my mom wasn't happy. She didn't like the idea of putting something on my skin forever. I still remember her calling me, telling me that I had put my first permanent mark on my body. While she's right that my tattoo is permanent, it's not my first. I've had a digital tattoo for over 10 years.
I created my first social media account in 2005. I was in eighth grade, and Myspace was really starting to take off. Similar to most millennials, I transitioned to Facebook a few years later. I also branched off into Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and more. I have a pretty extensive digital tattoo. However, this wasn't news to me. I've been googling myself since high school, and try to always be aware of what I post before I upload. This TED blog does a great job of explaining the idea, and the permanence, of digital tattoos.
Data Mining
The idea of data mining is about going deeper than a basic Google search. It's an in depth look at what information is available about yourself on the internet. I found it to be very interesting, and a little unsettling. To start off my search, I googled my first and last name.
My social media accounts popped up, as well as several photos. The pictures are either pulled from my Blogger account, or they are the public pictures I have set for my social media accounts. I thought it was interesting that the 3rd and 4th links that popped up were for Pacin' for Pitties, a 5k to benefit pitbulls (Which is especially cool because you can run the 5k with your dog!) Scrolling through the pages, I was able to find my name listed on honor roll postings, some articles I've written that were posted on nutrition blogs, and my grandmother's obituary.
For the next part of the search, I googled "skyhuspen", which is the username I use for most social media sites. Most of the search results that appeared were from Instagram. My boyfriend's account was the first to pop up, since he has posted and tagged pictures of me. I also saw results from classmates and other friends who have mentioned my username in a photo.
I started surfing through free data mining sites to really get some in depth information, and this was the part that was unsettling. The first site I explored was PeekYou. Searching my name revealed my age, my mom's name, her maiden name, and my younger brother's name. It also had links to my Twitter and LinkedIn. This wasn't surprising, as much of this information is intentionally set to public. However, it lists the street and town of my home address. It doesn't show the exact house number, but it took me approximately 3 minutes to find this information. It also shows the area code and first three digits of my home phone number. Probably the most interesting thing about PeekYou was something called a PeekScore.
According to the website, it's a number on a scale of 1-10 that is based on web presence. My PeekScore was 1. Meaning I show the least amount of information possible. Yet you're still able to determine where I live, who my family is, and how to contact me.
The next site that surprised me was Instant Checkmate. Instant checkmate lists my age, the names of both my brothers, the names of my parents, and every town I've ever worked or lived in. Additionally, it shows the last four digits of my phone number. Now think back to PeekYou... they have the area code and first three digits listed. You have to visit two sites, but you can easily get my full home number.
What Does it Mean?
I think data mining is a skill that should absolutely be taught to students. It can be taught at any age, but I think it should be introduced along with technology. Children are getting iPads and laptops at an age much younger than my generation. It's actually a pretty big responsibility, and we should teach children this as soon as they receive their devices.
Overall, I was content with what I saw during my own digital mining endeavor. I think most of what popped up was stuff I had intentionally set to be public, and was aware that many could see. I credit this to my mom, who, even when I was a teenager, stressed the importance of watching what I put online. But I don't think it's just the responsibility of the parents to explain this to children. I think teachers and parents both have a role in describing how important monitoring online presence is. Additionally, after learning that what gets posted online will stay forever, it is the children's responsibility to utilize this information.
In September of 2016, I got a tattoo. Even though I was 24 years old, my mom wasn't happy. She didn't like the idea of putting something on my skin forever. I still remember her calling me, telling me that I had put my first permanent mark on my body. While she's right that my tattoo is permanent, it's not my first. I've had a digital tattoo for over 10 years.
I created my first social media account in 2005. I was in eighth grade, and Myspace was really starting to take off. Similar to most millennials, I transitioned to Facebook a few years later. I also branched off into Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and more. I have a pretty extensive digital tattoo. However, this wasn't news to me. I've been googling myself since high school, and try to always be aware of what I post before I upload. This TED blog does a great job of explaining the idea, and the permanence, of digital tattoos.
Data Mining
The idea of data mining is about going deeper than a basic Google search. It's an in depth look at what information is available about yourself on the internet. I found it to be very interesting, and a little unsettling. To start off my search, I googled my first and last name.
 |
| Personal screenshot of a Google search for "Skyler Huspen" |
For the next part of the search, I googled "skyhuspen", which is the username I use for most social media sites. Most of the search results that appeared were from Instagram. My boyfriend's account was the first to pop up, since he has posted and tagged pictures of me. I also saw results from classmates and other friends who have mentioned my username in a photo.
I started surfing through free data mining sites to really get some in depth information, and this was the part that was unsettling. The first site I explored was PeekYou. Searching my name revealed my age, my mom's name, her maiden name, and my younger brother's name. It also had links to my Twitter and LinkedIn. This wasn't surprising, as much of this information is intentionally set to public. However, it lists the street and town of my home address. It doesn't show the exact house number, but it took me approximately 3 minutes to find this information. It also shows the area code and first three digits of my home phone number. Probably the most interesting thing about PeekYou was something called a PeekScore.
 |
| Personal screenshot of peekyou.com |
The next site that surprised me was Instant Checkmate. Instant checkmate lists my age, the names of both my brothers, the names of my parents, and every town I've ever worked or lived in. Additionally, it shows the last four digits of my phone number. Now think back to PeekYou... they have the area code and first three digits listed. You have to visit two sites, but you can easily get my full home number.
 |
| Personal screenshot of instantcheckmate.com |
What Does it Mean?
I think data mining is a skill that should absolutely be taught to students. It can be taught at any age, but I think it should be introduced along with technology. Children are getting iPads and laptops at an age much younger than my generation. It's actually a pretty big responsibility, and we should teach children this as soon as they receive their devices.
Overall, I was content with what I saw during my own digital mining endeavor. I think most of what popped up was stuff I had intentionally set to be public, and was aware that many could see. I credit this to my mom, who, even when I was a teenager, stressed the importance of watching what I put online. But I don't think it's just the responsibility of the parents to explain this to children. I think teachers and parents both have a role in describing how important monitoring online presence is. Additionally, after learning that what gets posted online will stay forever, it is the children's responsibility to utilize this information.
Wow! I can't believe between two sites that someone could figure out your phone number. I also agree that students should be taught data mining skills, it is important for everyone to know what data is out there and how you should manage your own digital tattoo. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post Skyler!
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised those sites revealed even a little bit of you phone number. Mine was not present at all. I'm also surprised you were able to find yourself on Google, but at least you were mindful of the content you posted. I think it's a good thing for parents and teachers to be active on social media so they can model for students the kinds of information to post and online etiquette. Young children are already so egocentric that many do not understand how others are going to interpret their posts. Combine that with their impulsivity, and they could make some serious mistakes...permanent mistakes, even.
ReplyDeleteLike your mom, I also cautioned my daughters about what specific details they post online. Too many times, people post very specific details of their lives online and it sometimes comes back to bite them. I agree it's important for teachers to discuss this with students as we use technology in school. I use Edmodo with my students and talk about appropriate posts, etc. I amazes me how many of my students have their own online accounts that aren't being monitored by their parents, but the parents question us about what we let them do online.
ReplyDelete