Googling your own name?

A new Pew study found that 47 percent of Internet users have searched for their own names online, up from 22 percent in 2002. The new report, co-authored by researcher Susannah Fox, also found 53 percent of Internet users have searched online for information about personal and business contacts.

The growing number of people Googling themselves coincides with the avalanche of personal information hitting the Web. Thanks to the rise of YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, blogs and other interactive Web 2.0 sites.

"As people become more aware of their digital footprint, they will be more likely to monitor it," said Fox,

Googling your name isn't vain! It is the best way to keep track of how much of your personal information has found its way onto the Internet. Link