Mackenzie Cole
Contents
Introduction
Perhaps the best rule my parents ever enforced was the banning of Facebook. When I was in 5th grade my classmates began bypassing the age requirement with their parent's permission. My parents denied me from it entirely. Zuckerberg never got ahold of my precious awkward years. I am now a very grateful twenty-one-year-old. I only made one temporarily to find a roommate my freshman year. There are hundreds, possibly thousands of Facebook accounts under Mackenzie Cole, but none of them are mine. My inconsistent social media use and my parents' strict rules created the perfect opportunity for anonymity in an age where that is near impossible.
Searching for Mackenzie Cole
Common Name Anonymity
Although being generic is something I hoped to avoid my whole life, my name comes with its perks. At the University of Michigan alone, there are three more people that go by 'Mackenzie Cole.' Without first obtaining more personal information, Google does not return results pertaining to me. I am coining this phenomenon 'Common Name Anonymity.' It is the thin veil of anonymity provided to those who have names so common, their digital identity is difficult to track down.
Google Queries
In order to conduct my research, I used Google as my search engine. I also conducted all my searches from an incognito Google Chrome browser. I determined this was the most effective way to ensure my search results were not influenced by previous browsing history or my Gmail account.
Search Query: 'Mackenzie Cole'
Search Query: 'Mackenzie Cole Rochester Hills'
Once establishing my hometown I could add 'Rochester Hills' to my search which began to narrow in on correct results. 'Mackenzie Cole Rochester Hills' lead me through a time machine to my past. Articles from my days as a swimmer resurfaced. My days as a Highlander at Rochester Adams High School depict an honors swimmer with a passion for the DECA club. From here, I find my DECA Twitter account that I managed as Vice President of Brand Management @DECA_Mackenzie. This trail of breadcrumbs would lead you to believe I was becoming a business major, yet here I am 4 years later finishing my BFA. While there are many benefits to public voter records, I am unsettled to find that my home address is found more easily than my Instagram account. Along with the full names of both my parents and due to the public nature of my address, a value Zillow estimate or 'Zestimate' for my home. The implications of sensitive personal information like home value and address being public go beyond internet security and into personal privacy and safety.
Social Media Accounts
The DECA Twitter account is what exposes my personal Twitter account, headed with my nickname "Kenz". I haven't regularly used this account since High School. Most of my recent posts are the occasional retweet. My most popular tweet is one written in 2016. It is the peak of Rochester Hills humor, poking fun at our beloved Emagine Theaters owner versus the district Superintendent.
Data Broker: Instant Checkmate
Reflections
Inaccurate Information
What's Missing?
I am currently redesigning my portfolio website, making it unlisted to Google's search engines, which only further hides my identity online. I suppose the internet really has no idea who I am at all and I am responsible for that. When I did find myself, I saw how surface-leveled all my social media accounts were. My digital identity lacks all the substance and depth I am proud of developing. I am comforted that old Tumblr accounts, One Direction 'stan' blogs, and middle-school Ask.fm accounts did not resurface without prior knowledge of my usernames. Those old accounts are skeletons sitting in my childhood closet, perhaps they are part of the reason I have been so private on the internet in my adult life.
