
For the 47% of adults over the age of 27 that are members of a least one social networking site, we must do better than those in a younger age bracket. That means that as tempting and as easy as it is to "track" the object of your affection, don't do it. What's both scary and comical is that many of us wont admit to our stalking tendencies. The truth is, your obsession with following your boo's every move on Facebook is just as unhealthy as hiding in the bushes at night. Because so many are in denial of their stalking tendencies, here are 10 ways to determine if you're social networking stalker:
1. You check his or her profile page more than four times a day.
You don't need to review status updates, profile pic changes and added friends every 20 minutes. If communication between the two people involved is at the level it should be, then you should already know what your partner is doing without caring about every single little detail that he or she chooses to post.
2. If you've Googled "How to retrieve a person's password."
You've already gotten them to log onto their profile on your computer, hoping 'Autoform' would save the password. Now you're upset it didn't work, and you're searching for how to crack the code. Passwords are created to protect privacy. If you're bold enough to go on a mission to get your partner's password, how about being bold enough to ask directly?
3. You've ever created an fake account to keep your stalking a secret.
Yes, you already have a Twitter account but decided create a duplicate one under a different alias so you can get all the information you are searching for without looking like you're doing it. So when you send him a message from @100real asking if he's dating someone, you know it's a setup. No matter what his answer is, your relationship will fail without trust, anyway.
4. You lied about a status update so that you could stalk them in real life.
You're on your couch on Friday night upset she's going to hang out with friends for a "Girls Night Out." Instead of letting her enjoy her freedom, you update your status "Watching the game with my boys," just to throw her off when you show up at the very same bar where she and her girls are grabbing a drink. Shame on you.
5. At any given moment you know the exact number of his or her friends/followers.
Not one new friend/follower gets by without you noticing. You know the exact date and time his two co-workers friended him on Facebook bringing his total friend count at the end of the week to 167.
6. You check the status updates, walls and pages of their friends.
Just to make sure what you are told is substantiated, you checked every family member that she said attended his mother's birthday party, making sure there are no details that she may have regretted to leave out. Yes, her aunt Suzie did bring her potato salad...
7. You've asked an unsuspecting friend to friend/follow the person you stalk.
Did you just ask your friend Keisha to follow your new boo on Twitter after he decided to make his page private? What's worse, are you calling Keisha every night for her to run down his day before you end yours?
8. You've download FB/Twitter/MySpace to your phone in so you can check his or her page on the go.
You've made sure your Ubertwitter and Facebook mobile have the most up-to-date version on your Blackberry or Iphone.
9. You've created Google alerts for your partner'sprofile names.
Now, whenever anyone mentions his/her name you receive an instant email to notify you. If that isn't stalking, we don't know what is.
10. You begin to start your sentences with "Well, his/her Facebook said..." and "On MySpace I saw that he/she.."
Get a grip.


Comments: (38)
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By: susie on 5/30/2010 7:52PM
I must be the only person in the free world who does not have a facebook or twitter account.
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By: JEREMY on 8/05/2010 4:04AM
susie,let me assure you you have more company than you know.I personally have NO USE FOR FACEBOOK,MYSPACE, OR YOUTUBE. THE ONLY TWITTER I WANT TO HEAR IS THE SOUND OF A ROBIN SINGING AT SUNRISE.
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By: Scott on 5/30/2010 9:05PM
You've got to be kidding, nobody would ever do that kind of stuff. I just think the author's really creative. I mean, I can barely keep track of what I do most the time, much less what someone else does. Well, except for one person, who's sooo funny. I only sign in once a day usually but, except for that one, I don't even look at profile pages, just my feed. So, I think it's baloney, cuz nobody has that kind of time to waste. Unless they're a deadbeat who doesn't work but, then who would date that kind of loser?
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By: Raejean on 5/31/2010 9:31AM
@Scott, my impression is that the stalker IS a stalker because no one is dating him/her...or soon won't be.
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By: Bruno on 5/30/2010 11:05PM
I know where Shirea wrote this, --In downtown San Franisco at the Hotel Trout Fishing in America.
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By: gary on 5/30/2010 11:24PM
Privacy, you mean common sense, right. when in a relation means telling the truth not telling LIES,example a female broke up with her ex-boyfriend after her ex beat her up with a gun inches from death he left she went to friends house called police, SWAT arrived her ex used her 3yr son as hostage got 6 months for Domestic violence, he is on probation with a NO CONTACT ORDER in place,he makes contact using a false id on Facebook so is it a volation of parole yes so her privacy is more important than her live because he sweet talks her into seeing his son. You call it stalking I don't, I call her stupid ( He as 10 Domestic counts agaist him in 2 states so why is he still walking around, what happened to 3 strikes your out ). People who use Facebook to hide their ID are hurting themselves and others so how many more people have to die before these site put a stop to this kind of hiding.
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By: ecook on 5/30/2010 11:26PM
Even texting has changed relationships in this day and age... now a guy can ask a girl out by texting them. What happened to CALLING them and coming to pick them up to take them out?? Now, guys text girls to ask them out, and meet them wherever they are going. What happened to chivalry and romance?
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By: asp on 5/30/2010 11:39PM
Some ppl are more comfortable texting. It makes it easier to keep in touch & updated. Some don't like going thru the trouble of living by a datebook where u make appointments for eveything & have to stress about where u'r supposed to be @ a certain time. Life happens, & sometimes it's just easier to meet on the run.
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By: soapberryusa on 5/30/2010 11:50PM
What a stupid article.
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By: MoneyPit on 5/31/2010 12:12AM
When you cash you paycheck or stop and get gas or do you grocery shopping. Did you know most paper currency in the United States does contain trace amounts of cocaine and other types of drugs? After handling money those left behind drug particles get on your hands and you might not wash before eating driving down the road after getting a soda, coffee or just a snack well, those so call drug partials are left on money and it get's on your hands and you eat what others are misusing money for. Think about that.
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