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Navel-gazing spreads to search engines

More Americans are looking themselves up on Google and other search engines. According to a new study, 47 percent of Americans type their names into search sites. That's more than double the figure from 2002.

Natalie Weinstein Former Senior Editor / News
I spent a decade as a reporter and editor before joining the CNET News staff as a copy editor in 2000, right before the dot-com bust.
Expertise Copy editing. Curating, editing and reading newsletters of all stripes. Playing any word-related game, specifically Scrabble, Wordle and Boggle. Credentials
  • I've been a journalist for more than three decades. I was a finalist in the 2021 Digiday Media Award for Best Newsletter.
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Natalie Weinstein

In a sign that ego shows no signs of shrinking, more Americans are looking themselves up on Google and other search engines. According to a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 47 percent of Americans type their names into search sites. That's more than double the figure from 2002.

The study also found that 53 percent of Net surfers look up information about someone else, excluding celebrities. It's either to find someone they've lost contact with or to seek info on friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors.

Read the full Associated Press story on Wired: "Study: Googling Oneself Is More Popular"