Can you believe that we live in a day and age where we can find just about anyone online, and watch from afar via social media how they live their lives? It’s so easy thanks to social media, and a simple click of a finger – we can keep up with everyone’s online lives via innocent online stalking.
I was chatting with a group of friends about how difficult it is for single people to meet someone because they feel that social media puts unnecessary pressure on them. I asked to elaborate, as I have been married for almost ten years, and we didn’t have social media back then. Just good old-fashioned SMS, and phoning one another to hanging out in person, a lot! Nowadays, there are so many ways to meet someone, and to communicate with someone.
Has social media stalking become the norm?
My friends went on to say, that they feel social media serves as a distraction, feeds assumption, and causes them to over think things like when to comment, like, respond back and so on. While we were chatting about dating, they showed us their profile and we did a mini online “stalk” of others. We looked at their pictures, tried to dissect and interpret what their captions meant. If I had to be honest with you, it was a little bit weird, as it seemed so normal to everyone. I don’t know this person directly or personally, but here I am looking at their profile as a means to learn more about them.
How often to we find ourselves doing things like this? Spending hours at a time, going from one profile to the next, studying who they are. We live in a very impersonal world, where we’ve become a bit lazy when it comes to making real life, in person, relationships, because online stalking seems much easier and more convenient than making the effort to connect with others in person.
Are you a social media stalker?
If you answer yes to most of the questions below, then maybe its time for an online stalking detox!
- You obsess and check your social media channels, as a means of not missing out on anything relating to the lives of others.
- You create a fake profile, as a means of silently stalking online.
- You only ‘friend’ people online, as a means of stalking (as in following their lives to be in the know.)
- When speaking with others, you always refer to what you saw or read comment wise online.
- You read into things and assume the worst about every post that has been posted by others.
- Your main source of the news, is social media.
Don’t waste your time, and your life living vicariously through others online lives. Live your own life, be present, and don’t forget to make real life memories for yourself. The best way to meet new people, and to grow healthy friendships and relationships is to actually be present and to be personal!