Almost half (47 per cent) of internet users have conducted a search for their own name online, up from 22 per cent five years ago, according to new research.The figures, produced by the Pew Research Centre, also suggest that 53 per cent have hunted for information about personal and business contacts over the web.
Additionally, it was discovered that most internet users (60 per cent) are unconcerned and unaware about the extent of the information available about them, with adults seemingly less proactive in data management than their teenage counterparts.
Indeed, a higher percentage of teens had restricted access to their profiles on social networking sites than adults.
According to the researchers, more powerful search engines have made it easier to find a match for a personal name search and the rise of blogs and social networking have increased the amount of information available.
"The cumulative traces of our online activity are more visible in the age of web 2.0. The more content we voluntarily contribute to the public or semi-public corners of the web, the more we become not only findable, but knowable," commented co-author of the report Mary Madden.
Fellow report co-author Susannah Fox added that many internet users seem to be motivated by nostalgia when searching for personal names, with the most popular search targets being someone from the past, including old friends, romances and former colleagues.
The Pew Research Centre is an independent research group that focuses on people's attitudes towards politics, the press and public policy issues.
