Morgan Tucker
Contents
My Data Identity
I like to think of myself as a unique individual. But apparently, my name is not so unique. Absolutely nothing about me shows up when I search my name on a web browser. I have been pretty upset throughout my life that it takes so much specificity to find information about me in a google search. While all of my friends could easily find themselves and felt famous, I was lost in the sea of Morgan Tucker’s, which is strange because I have only met a few Morgans and no Morgan Tuckers.
But now that I am more educated on the dangers and ethical issues of online data, I am more relieved than upset to know I am not that easy to find online. Though it is comforting to know this, it is problematic the information that can be found about me does not paint an accurate picture of who I am. Even if everything about me came up when searching my name, online information and data can never portray an accurate representation of a person’s authentic self, as this is constantly evolving and changing.
Online Presence Past
Like all overprotective parents in the 2000s, my parents were extremely worried about me being online. They did not even love the idea of me having a Webkinz account. So when I was finally allowed to have an iPad, they made it very clear I was not allowed to get social media. Well, like any child of overprotective parents growing up in the 2000s, I went against their wishes and secretly got an Instagram and Twitter account. It’s not like they even had accounts to find me. But I did follow one rule: never use my last name and real birthday on accounts. So most of my accounts are under Morgan Tuck or Morgan T. and do not have my birthday or accurate age. I guess my parents had some good intentions because this is what I believe is what makes it extremely hard to find information about me with a simple search.
Who I am According to Google
search: 'morgan tucker'
Searching my full name in google search does not bring up anything directly related to me. However, two of the links that appear on the first page of results are Morgan Tuckers who are designers. I found this interesting because I, myself, am a graphic designer. I figured that Google was showing me Morgan Tucker designers because it knew I was a designer based on recent searches about adobe applications, so I decided to do the same search in an incognito window. To my surprise, I got the same results for my name in the incognito window. At least when someone looks me up they can decipher I am a designer, even if the information is about a different Morgan Tucker.
The second link was a link to LinkedIn that searched for Morgan Tucker’s with an account. I show up as the fourth result! Until the person doing the search adds me as a connection, they will only see my name as Morgan T. They also will not be able to see a profile picture, but they can read an article about changing perspectives that I wrote as well as see the posts I have liked on LinkedIn. They can also see my full name, even my middle name, in my header photo. My profile being the fourth result on Linkedin is exciting to me because I have worked hard on catering my professional presence, however, it is unnerving that though my name only shows up as Morgan T for strangers, it shows up when Morgan Tucker is searched, so my last name can easily be inferred.
A search for Morgan Tuckers on Facebook is also on the first page further down the page. When I clicked on this, my actual Facebook page was the 78th result of the search. Some people who showed up before my page did not even have the first name Morgan or their last name was not even Tucker. Though I am glad I am not easy to find, I am worried that when I am older my long-lost college friends will not be able to find me!
search: 'morgan tuck'
I had big hopes that this search would lead to most of my social media profiles because my username is almost always morgantuck11. However, the only person that showed up for every page of results was a WNBA star.
search: 'morgan tucker hawken'
I began to think I would have more luck by narrowing my search by including the name of my high school in it. The first link that appears is my Facebook page because I have my high school in my bio. When someone goes to my Facebook page and is not already my friend on Facebook, the first image they see is my profile photo which has a sticker that shows I voted for Joe Biden. The second photo they see is an older profile picture with a sticker indicating I am pro-choice. This is the first instance of my investigation where I found pieces of my identity that tell a story of who I am. These photos with stickers show I am politically active and believe in fighting for reproductive rights. My page also indicates I got to the University of Michigan.
This search also brought me to an archived article on my high school’s website. It discusses how I, along with a few other classmates, was selected to be a part of a youth panel for the Jewish Federation. However, the article does not explain what the youth panel does accurately. It states “Panelists are expected to commit to one Sunday per month, host an Israeli teen, travel to Israel, and lead a community project”, and all we were expected to do was commit to one Sunday a month. This is an instance where I do not have control over what is told about me and false information. Also, this post indicates to others that I am Jewish.
The search also leads to the same school website, but a page on how I received a bronze medal award for a Spanish exam. I have since forgotten all of the Spanish I learned, so this is no longer accurate.
search: 'morgan tucker beachwood'
I decided to make my search even more specific by searching my name with my hometown, Beachwood. Beachwood City Schools is also the name of the school system I attended until high school. This search brought up my Bat Mitzvah announcement from 2012 in The Jewish News. The announcement says I attend Beachwood Middle School, which is no longer true, so it is outdated information. It also includes my middle name, my parents' names, and the synagogue I belong to.
