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When does watching someone on social media become an unhealthy fixation?
What is internet stalking and why do we do it?
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WHAT IS INTERNET STALKING AND WHY DO WE DO IT? | Gone are the days when we pined after crushes and simply used our imaginations to visualize what they were up to at any given time. Search engines like Google and social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok have given us a window into the lives of people we know and even people we don’t.
With this new access has come new words for keeping up with your crush, ex or friend on social media. Social media “creeping,” “lurking,” “stalking” or “spying,” is a common practice.
But like anything, social media voyeurism can become an unhealthy fixation if left unchecked. Just in time for National Stalking Awareness Month, read on for data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Vanderbilt Law Review as well as advice from Dr. Emma Short, a psychologist and associate professor in psychology at De Montfort University, on what social media stalking is, why we do it and when it goes from being innocent curiosity to dangerous obsession.