Cyber-stalking

You view their page everyday, you go through all of their comments, you go through their friends list, you've read all of their post and you've seen all of their pictures. I think we all are guilty or know someone who does this kind of surveillance and persistent behaviors. You or that person you know haven't entered the cyber-creeps category until these questions are answered:

Do you know this person?

Does this person know you ?

What is your relationship with this person, if one exists?

If they were to find out about these behaviors would they be comfortable?

If the answer to all the questions were yes, you are officially a cyber-creep. A cyber-creep is a fun word I made up to represent a low-level of stalking, that isn't harmful or unwanted, unlike cyber-stalking. After learning about cyber-stalking in class, I was a bit worried that I was a cyber-stalker, to the point where I ended up telling my boyfriend that I stalk his Instagram profile. Comforting enough, his response was that he does the same on my profile but this behavior isn't always consented. For instance, if the answer to the above questions were no, that would be crossing the line.

 

Technology and social networks have been diminishing privacy since becoming a key player in our society. Just because someone accepts you into their social network circle of friends doesn't mean that this behavior is okay. Some people feel it isn't considered stalking unless they reach out to you, and harass. Being that we are still adjusting to this new aspect of life there isn't a set definition nor official laws regarding it. According to "Tech Target Network", Cyber stalking is a crime in which the attacker harasses a victim using electronic communication, such as e-mail or instant messaging (IM), or messages posted to a Web site or a discussion group. A cyberstalker relies upon the anonymity afforded by the Internet to allow them to stalk their victim without being detected. Cyberstalking messages differ from ordinary spam in that a cyberstalker targets a specific victim with often threatening messages, while the spammer targets a multitude of recipients with simply annoying messages.

 

Cyber stalking can range from all of the actions mentioned in this picture

 

Technology has a lot of negative effects, it exposes children to online predators and makes cyber bullying possible. It also provides information that increases the risk of identity theft and stalking, there's just a lot of personal information laid out there due to technology. Just like regular stalking, you can't control that it might happen to you. But there are ways to prevent it like privacy settings, caution of what you share and by not allowing anyone you don't know into your social networks. Many believe cyberstalking is just a female problem or concern but just about anyone can be targeted. According to statistics from WHOA, Working to Halt Abuse Online, a foundation geared to fight harassment online, 21 percent of victims are men.

 

In fact a couple was targeted by a man recently who is now in custody for sending them threatening emails and constant phone calls. You can read more about it here: Man charged with cyberstalking couple.