Would cyber stalking bother you if it doesn't go beyond watching?

Asked by wundayatta (58741

) November 30th, 2010

It seems to me that people throw around the term “stalker” all over the place, but I’m not sure what they mean by it. I think there is some kinds of stalking where people are actually bombarding the person with unwanted emails, or are constantly posting on their wall or blog or whatever. I guess that’s why some websites have functions that allow you to block users.

But what about a less obvious form of stalking? Sort of lurker stalking? Where you suspect someone of following you although there is no direct evidence of it. Would you be bothered by that? Or would you block it out of your mind?

Let’s put a related real world scenario out there. If a person watched you. Followed you. But did nothing else—is that stalking? Would you be creeped out? Is there anything you could do about it?

Would you be bothered if you knew people were out there watching you, but never doing anything? What if you had had a relationship with someone and they were just watching you, but doing nothing else? Would you try to do something about it? If so, what? Or would you be able to block it out of your mind?

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6 Answers

The way you describe it, it sounds awfully like the government. I’m not fond of their intrusion in my life, but I don’t think I can do much about it.

But sometimes my friend and I will make jokes on the phone, just to mess with them, in case anyone happens to be listening to that call.

snowberry (27901

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It would definitely creep me out if someone were watching me, following me, but not doing anything else. Online or in person. In high school there was a guy who never spoke to me, but who followed me, watched me… he even switched lockers with a guy in my homeroom so that he could be near me, and took my bus in the afternoons although he lived on the other side of town. I don’t care whether they “do” anything; stalking is stalking.

It makes you wonder: why me? What am I doing that’s so important?

Seelix (14952

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Yes, it would bother me. It would mean that the person was obsessing about me in their thoughts.

marinelife (62485

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It depends on the entity and the intent. A “peeping tom” only watches, but it’s at the most private moments. I don’t like the idea of companies or governments watching me, even if that’s all they do (Big Brother?).

iamthemob (17221

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