My take on social media stalking

Surely, many could agree that we will inevitably stalk people’s social media profiles whether they take place on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, or even Spotify for those who dig that deep.  People being stalked might consist of influencers, celebrities, or maybe people who are closer such as exes, their exes, people we dislike, or people we like a lot. Reasons for this could depend on the relationship as well as your emotional wellness.  

Some examples include but aren’t limited to comparing yourself to others, wanting to analyze potential drama, missing someone, making fun of someone, and so on. I think 9 times out of 10, any reason may end up being harmful whether it’s harmful to you or for others. Regardless, social media is made into this weird concept of defining your views or opinions due to things like your status, what posts you like, whose stories you like, how many people follow you, etc.  These are all contributing factors that can potentially create long-term obstacles. 

 I think the most common reason why people decide to get on social media and analyze people’s behavior is because there are common tendencies to search for things to compare yourself to. It’s also one of the easiest ways to find yourself in that area of low self-esteem. This is a clear sign of insecurity and that there’s room for self-growth. I would say that stalking profiles is also a sign of low self-control, which obviously sucks but is almost always unavoidable if you tie into those kinds of habits.  

The way I see the concept of it is that it can be negative, but not something to be ashamed about because of how normalized it’s become in today’s age. I do think some things can be positive in terms of it being entertaining and something easy to do for free time, but that’s not super justifying.  

It can also sometimes be justified if you’re searching for something important that requires some deeper digging. In terms of relationships, it can also be used to free your intuitions. For example, if there are some gut feelings that your partner is cheating on you, a lot of the time that ends up being the way you find out which is saddening but always possible.  

While I think stalking people on social media can be super damaging, it’s not something to find shame in and it can essentially be used as a tool to protect you and your peace in the future.