Stalking: Has Facebook Given the Term some Legitimacy?

“I just stalked all of ___ pictures from freshman year of college.”

Or. 

“She like __ television shows. I saw it under her “TV shows” on Facebook.” 

               

                The fact that people even admit such things would have been astounding a few years ago. Facebook is a tool that has allowed people create a digital life that is on public display for friends, family, and coworkers to see. Because it’s all there, is it okay to look at EVERYTHING? Has the ease with which we can use Facebook made it okay to see everything and not feel weird about it?

                I believe there are many basic Facebook features that have made stalking easier and more acceptable. For instance: tagging people in photos. If one did not want the Facebook world to view the photos they upload or are tagged in, they would not post them or they would untag themselves. Another example: Wall posts. If you did not want everyone who stumbles upon (or purposefully so) a profile to see what you have posted, you would message them, text them or tell them in person. And people still act surprised when they realize they are being stalked. But Facebook was created for the purpose of making interacting with others easier. It accomplishes this goal very well but are users gaining too much information about their friends?

                The new “See Friendship” feature amplifies the amount of stalking someone can do. Every single interaction you have had with a person is recorded under this page. Searching isn’t even necessary anymore. Why is this useful? This feature shows users the longevity and strength of a relationship. If there are many interactions, you obviously like the person and are intent on continuing whatever kind of relationship you have with them.

                But looking at other people’s profiles…

                Is that acceptable? I believe it is because people put stuff out there for other people to see. It is not unreasonable for users to be curious and to venture into the inner workings of someone’s profile if they are already clicking on other things they’ve posted. Because it is so easy to gather information about people, it is no longer abnormal for people to know particular facts about another person because they saw it on Facebook. Because the fact is, you put it out there, people are going to look. The term “stalking” does still have a negative connotation, but not when used with Facebook. Let’s be honest, everyone does it and we all thoroughly enjoy itJ.