Dos and don'ts of Facebook stalking
Stalking – real life stalking, when you follow a person around or watch their every move – is bad. You should never do it because it’s creepy, it’s scary, it’s not good for you mentally and, oh yeah, it’s illegal.
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But Facebook(FB) stalking? It’s a much more harmless way of keeping tabs on a person without acting too crazy.
In fact, some would even argue that Facebook stalking is perfectly acceptable because people make a Facebook so others will know more about their lives – why not take advantage of that?
I have admitted it before and I’ll admit it now: I’m a Facebook stalker. Yes, I FB stalk my crushes and my boyfriend (and maybe once in a while, my ex-boyfriends), but I’m also not afraid to FB stalk my friends or my little sister and brother.
I’m not really ashamed. We have all Facebook stalked – yes, even those people who might comment here saying it’s pathetic – at some point. It’s normal.
While it’s usually pretty harmless, Facebook stalking can get messy quickly. There are some things you just can’t do, you know? Don’t get weird with it.
Here are the 10 dos and don’ts of Facebook stalking your crush. Because if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it responsibly.
• Do add him if you want: Of course it is okay to add your crush on Facebook. In fact, it's probably the easiest way to make a move ever. There's nothing weird about adding someone on Facebook, so go ahead and add your little heart out.
• Don’t make a fake profile to add him: Just... don't. I know a few people who have done this and there's no other word for this than creepy.
• Do Facebook stalk once in a while: Like I said, looking at your crushes page once in a while is fine. Scanning through his stuff from the last few years to learn more about him is totally okay.
You're curious because you like this person and every once in a while you want an update on their life. I get it!
• Don’t go overboard: But while it's normal to FB stalk once in a while, you shouldn't be making this a daily activity.
You shouldn't sign on Facebook just to see what this person is doing. You shouldn't be staying up late to try to catch them online, or keep your phone by you at all times to keep tabs on them.
Don't get crazy with this. That's when it gets unhealthy and obsessive.
• Do like some of his pictures: If you think he looks super cute in one or two (or five) of his pictures, don't be afraid to hit the ‘Like’ button. Facebook flirting is the easiest kind of flirting and it's a fun way to be like, "hey cutie" without actually saying it, you know?
• Don’t like a picture from 2008: Warning: be careful when looking through old pictures. You do not want to find yourself in a situation where you accidentally - or not-so-accidentally - like one of his super old pictures.
You might as well write on his wall to say, "Hey, I'm stalking you right now!"
• Do check out his profile to see what he's up to: If you want to know more about this dude or you just want to see what's been going on in his life, obviously look at his profile. No big deal!
• Don’t stalk every girl who likes his stuff: It's one thing to look at his profile and it's another thing to start looking at every single like and comment and stalking each and every girl you notice.
First of all, you're probably not going to be able to determine exactly what their relationship is via Facebook.
Secondly, this is only going to make you feel crazy. People like things on Facebook. It doesn't always mean they like each other!
• Do comment on his stuff if you like it: If your crush makes a status that you want to comment on, go ahead! Isn't that what Facebook is for?
Feel free to add to the conversation or just show your appreciation for what he's saying. That's not weird, it's friendly.
• Don’t blow up his page: There is no need to like and comment every single thing this guy does.
If he's constantly getting notifications about how you're liking and commenting on everything, he's probably going to be like, "Uh... what?" Just relax.
By Jessica Booth / Graphic Showbiz / Ghana
