Have you ever “Facebook stalked” someone? I have a feeling that your answer is yes. Mine is too so do not feel embarrassed! We have all Facebook stalked someone, and we have all used this term. But do we really understand what we are saying when we say, “Facebook stalking?”
Facebook stalking refers to looking at someone else’s Facebook profile and pictures excessively. When someone wants to see their friend’s prom pictures, they Facebook stalk her. When someone wants to see how two of their friends know each other, they Facebook stalk them. It is a way for someone to find out more information about his or her Facebook friends. Most people do not see this term as harmful and often use it jokingly. This is unfortunate, because stalking is not a joke.
According to loveisrespect.org, a website created as a safe space for teenagers to find information about dating violence, “you are being stalked when a person repeatedly watches, follows, or harasses you, making you feel afraid or unsafe… A stalker can be someone you know, a past boyfriend or girlfriend, or a stranger.” The legal definition of a stalker varies from state to state, but the definition presented by loveisrespect.org can help teens to understand what stalking generally is.
As you can see, stalking is serious. It is a form of abuse and should not be condoned by society through the use of popular new lingo. By turning stalking into a joke, we are creating a world where stalking is not taken as seriously as it should be. We are even changing our views on cyber stalking with this new term. According to the Oxford Dictionary, cyber stalking is “the repeated use of electronic communications to harass or frighten someone, for example by sending threatening e-mails.” Is Facebook stalking a form of cyber stalking? If so, why do we see it as funny? Should we be more concerned when someone says that they “Facebook stalked” someone else?
The homepage of a site that causes more harm than many realize.
I do not know the answer to these questions. However, what I do believe is that people should try to decrease their usage of this term. Instead of making stalking seem like a joke, we should try to understand the realities of stalking. We should try to teach others about this form of abuse, one that leads to 76% of women who are stalked by their intimate partners being eventually killed by their intimate partners. We should try to make this world a better, safer, more understanding place for victims of stalking. How is someone supposed to get help if everyone else thinks that his or her situation is just a joke?
It is not a joke.
Let’s stop making it one.
~Heather Brody
