Stalking in the Age of Social Media
We’ve all seen those hilarious cyber-stalking memes all over the internet. They look a little something like this:
People find these memes funny because they are relatable. I know I have done some social media stalking, for myself and others. Completely harmless, right? Actually, social media stalking has become a very serious — and frightening — issue.
The Forbes.com article Social Media Is Fostering A Big Rise In Real-World Stalking by Simon Chandler mentions numerous cases that involve serial stalkers taking extensive measures to track their chosen victims. According to the article, one man in Pennsylvania came across a Florida girl when she was only 12, and then, after a gap of SEVEN YEARS, he sent a ‘love’ letter to her home address. If that doesn’t freak you out, another man in Japan used the reflection in the eye of a girl’s selfie to pinpoint her location.
Sorry, in case you missed that, I said, the REFLECTION IN HER EYE.
Hollywood has picked up on the growing issue as well. If you have Netflix, you may have seen the psychological thriller, You. The movie features a young man who uses social media and the internet to become close to a girl, even going so far as to remove any obstacle that stands in his way of getting to her. Sounds familiar.
So, aside from deleting our social media accounts altogether, what can we do to protect ourselves from these so-called creepers?
The best thing is to switch our profiles to private accounts; an easy fix for most, but for others (e.g. influencers), having a public profile is necessary for business.
If you’re not an influencer of any kind, this article from WikiHow.com lists numerous ways to prevent any attempts made by an internet stalker.
If you are an influencer, the most you can do is be careful. This CAGoldbergLaw.com article by Carrie Goldberg recognizes social media sites as valuable pathways to career success for many creative and entrepreneurial users. The article suggests several ways for influencers to stay safe on social media.
Social media is here to stay. No one is going to delete his or her social media account simply to avoid being stalked, especially if social media is how he or she earns a living. So, stay safe, be cautious and post away!
