Googlism

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Examine how algorithmic summaries scrape and reframe personal names or concepts out of context.

Use it when: Use during digital identity, privacy, or lighthearted team kickoff sessions where participants have web access.

Skip it when: Skip when internet access is unavailable, or when participants have privacy concerns or shared trauma around online harassment.

Group arrangement: Solo query, then pairs, followed by brief room sharing.

Timing: Relationship Makers Handbook suggests under 5 minutes; 10 minutes allows safe setup, individual queries, pair discussions, and brief reflections.

Materials and tools

• One internet-connected device per participant or pair
• Web browser with access to a public search engine
• Scratch paper and pen per participant (optional, for notes)

Before participants arrive

1. Test search engine access on the local network.
2. Decide on the fallback query template: search for the name in quotes followed by 'is' (e.g., '"Alex is"').

Say this to open

Search engines gather fragments of text from across the web without context. We are going to search for our first names, or an alias of your choice, paired with the word 'is' in quotation marks. Look through the top snippets, pick two lines that sound funny, absurd, or completely inaccurate, and we will compare notes in pairs.

How to run it

1. Explain search formula 1 minutes

   Read the opening script. Explain the query formula: enter your first name followed by 'is' inside double quotes, such as "Maria is". If anyone prefers not to search their own name, invite them to use a favorite fictional character, a pet name, or a city name.

2. Run queries individually 2 minutes

   Participants work individually on their devices to run the search query. Direct participants to scan the snippet previews below the links and note two lines that stand out as humorous, odd, or entirely mismatched.

3. Compare results in pairs 4 minutes

   Form pairs. Each person shares one or two lines they discovered. Partners discuss how search algorithms stitch together unrelated context. If odd numbers occur, form one triad where each person shares one line.

4. Debrief with whole room 3 minutes

   Reconvene the full group. Invite two or three volunteers to share a standout snippet or an observation about how online aggregation portrays personal identities. Keep comments brief to stay within time.

Debrief questions

• What patterns showed up in how search engines auto-complete or summarize names?
• How does seeing your name out of context change how you think about online data aggregation?
• What are practical ways to manage or safeguard your personal digital footprint?

Finished output: A shared pair discussion and two to three volunteer examples of algorithmically assembled text snippets.

Remote

Run via video conference. Participants open a browser tab to perform the search query. Split participants into two-person breakout rooms for pair discussions, then bring everyone back to the main room for debrief via voice or chat.

Hybrid

Pair in-person participants with in-person partners, and remote participants in virtual breakout rooms. For the whole-room debrief, alternately take one contribution from the room and one from the virtual chat.

Access and participation choices

• Allow participants to search an alias, pet name, or fictional character instead of their legal name.
• Provide the option to listen in pairs without reading results aloud.

If the session gets stuck

A participant has a very rare name and finds zero generic autocomplete results.

Invite them to search their middle name, a popular historical figure, or an everyday object.

Search results surface negative, explicit, or offensive phrases.

Remind the room before starting that web search results are uncurated scrapings. Instruct participants to skip past offensive results immediately or switch to an innocuous alias like 'Sherlock Holmes is'.

Terms used here

• Query: The exact word or phrase typed into a search engine to retrieve results.
• Snippet: The short preview text extracted from a web page displayed beneath the search link.