Author Overcomes Google Obsession

A Nigerian author faced a tough battle with an unusual addiction: compulsively Googling her own name.

It all started in April 2009 when she published her first book. Excited by the buzz around her debut, she typed her name into Google and was stunned to see hundreds of results, a dramatic jump from just a few the year before.

As the days turned into weeks, her fascination quickly morphed into an obsession. Refreshing the search results became a daily habit, turning her life upside down. Whenever she was out with friends, she would excuse herself to find a laptop or phone to get her fix of online mentions.

Things took a surprising turn during a writers’ event in New Delhi in April 2010, when a student’s question about Googling names made her realize she wasn’t alone. Other authors had similar habits, and she felt a wave of panic about her addiction soon swelling into a community-wide obsession.

Determined to regain control, she crafted a plan for herself. Using her psychology background, she set small goals, starting with just an hour without Googling her name. Gradually, she extended the time until she was searching only once a month.

Fast forward to today, it’s been 13 years since she kicked the habit. Though she might check her book titles occasionally, she hasn’t searched her name on Google since January 2011. Her experience taught her the importance of control over her own mind in the digital age.