Julie Palmer

My Data Identity

A Bit About Me

I can say with full authority that I have worried about my online persona before. When I was younger, I didn’t like the idea of people who barely knew me seeing my life pasted all over social media. Now, my fears have moved into my professional life as I prepare to graduate. What would an employer see if they Googled me? Would it hurt my prospects? Will they have preconceived notions about who I am as a person? Perhaps, but probably not. I have always kept a lot of my life private. I would never post on Facebook and my other social media accounts are associated with me, but never connected to my full name. I have always been conscientious of my digital footprint and fearful that my adolescent personality or passions will haunt me in the future. Instead of my personal life, inquirers will find the professional image I want them to see online. Although there are a few exceptions it seems.

Google Queries

'Julie Palmer'

Upon searching my full name and nothing else, I found my LinkedIn as the fourth result. This was slightly suspicious, even on incognito mode, as my name is quite common. Following this thread, though, I found my carefully curated page. I have a brief summary, hidden profile photo and no descriptions for the array of positions I have held. I want people to know enough about me to be interested but feel strange saying so much. That being said, my UX Portfolio is linked to this page where there is lots to learn about me. In fact, it breaks many of the other rules I set for myself. Within my website, I share my projects, resume and many of my hobbies. I will admit, I was hesitant about adding in this personal info, but I like the idea of curating exactly what someone knows about me online. I would much rather them find out I like to travel in my own words than allow them to snoop through my private study abroad Instagram that I shared only with close family and friends. At this point, the person looking to learn more about me may try some more specific searches related to my location or education.

‘Julie Palmer Ann Arbor’

Following this new search query, I was once again able to find my LinkedIn, as the first result. I was also able to find my Behance and a link to a local magazine I work for. My least favorite portion of this search was easily my full home address coming up as the third result. I realize this is true of many people, but I do not enjoy how easy it is to find information on me. This is one of the exceptions I mentioned of information being online that I did not curate myself.

‘Julie Palmer Saline’

A quick look at my LinkedIn will tell you I grew up in Saline, just fifteen minutes south of campus. Unsurprisingly, my LinkedIn is the first result to pop up with this search. However, my past life (pre-college) is also on a larger display. For eleven years, I was a baton twirler with the Saline Twirlettes. There is no shortage of websites and articles related to this when I type this specific query. This is the first time that my online identity was taken out of my own hands. I am not entirely against these postings, though. This is a part of my life that shaped me as a person immensely and therefore accurately represents who I am. I am proud of my accomplishments on this team and have them to thank for becoming a person of compassion and hard work. I think this display, although not curated by me, is important to who I am as a person and depicts my childhood years respectfully.

Social Media

As mentioned earlier, I have always kept my social media identity a bit locked up. My Facebook is the most accessible, and while I do not post, other people post and tag me in content from time to time. I would prefer if they don’t, but I have the opportunity to hide on my profile if I desire. My Twitter is not linked to my name, and I rarely post. I took a top-down approach and contacted all of the people I wanted access to it privately and mostly utilize it to direct message funny tweets to my friends. My Instagram is linked to my name, but it is so generic that anyone would have a hard time finding it and be disappointed to see I am private and selective on who follows me. I have no other social media accounts of note.

How Do I Feel About My Online Identity?

I am very conscious about the information I share online. That being said, I am comfortable sharing here what a Google search may get wrong about me. First, I am more than my LinkedIn. While I spend a lot of time on school and honing my professional skills, I am so much more than that which my online identity does not depict. To be fair, that is how I like it to be, but I got to wondering. Is it harmful or helpful that people know that my number one passion is film? Probably not, but I would never want to share too much personal info about myself that could lead me to getting hacked. Ironically, I have been hacked twice - in different facets of my life. This has me more cautious about saving card information on my browser but also about keeping personal info that is used in security questions out of the hands of others. That being said, I am not sure if my privacy and security will work in the future. We are only moving towards a more online life, should I have a fuller version of myself available for people to know? I honestly don’t want to, but will I be left behind because I don’t have a cohesive and interesting online identity? This is probably something I will grapple with over the course of the next few years.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, my online identity is mine and mine alone. I can be cautious of what I put out there, but other things are going to seep in. I like to have control over how people perceive me online. I think there is great danger in things posted online being misconstrued.