Looking on snap map, stalking accounts on Instagram, or watching every move people make on life 360: while it may seem creepy and weird, lurking on social media has its benefits.

#1 You can find out important information about people

I’m not going to lie, if I see someone in public that I think I might know or have mutual friends with, I might try to find their Instagram account. Yes, it is strange, but I find out a lot about the person by doing so. Usually, I can find out what school they go to, the sports they play, see what their family and friends look like, and just figure out a lot about the person. After looking at their accounts, I can usually decide what kind of person they are and if they are someone I would want to be friends with. I’m just now realizing how creepy and judgmental this is, but it is just the truth.

#2 It lets others know if you’re in danger

My friends and I have a huge Life 360 circle together. It allows everyone to see where people are and what they are doing. However, it also has more advanced features including an SOS button, a speed monitor, and a car crash detector. In all of these instances, it will notify the people in your circle. While I may stalk my friends every now and then to see what they’re doing, it is comforting to know that my friends will know if I’m in danger and vice versa.

#3 Know what your friends are up to

It happens to all of us. We see our friends hanging out without us. Even though it makes you feel terrible, I feel like it is better to know if you weren’t invited. Through social media, we can see what our friends are doing, where they are, and who is with them in an instant. On another note, seeing what our friends are doing can make us feel connected to our friends, and we can experience things even without being there.

Snooping on people’s social media accounts or lurking around online can seem stalker-ish and weird; however, it also helps you find information about people, lets others know if you’re in danger, and you can see what your friends are doing.

Scrolling through people’s Instagram accounts, checking people’s snap scores constantly, and stalking random strangers, TikToks are thrilling and fun, but can also be dangerous and unsafe. 

#1 It can be unsafe in return

It may be fun to learn about what is going on in other people’s lives with just a click of a button, but there are some dangers that come along with lurking online. Having everything you do in the public eye can be an unsafe place sometimes. On Snapchat there is a setting where you can turn a map on to show where you are at that very instant. If you aren’t careful with who you add on Snapchat, it allows some pretty sketchy people to find you. 

#2 It can ruin relationships

I personally love to “investigate” or “lurk” around on the internet for good information, but I also have to be careful where I look because finding out someone’s true colors on the internet can ruin friendships and relationships. People will post everything that they are doing on social media, so you may be casually scrolling through Instagram looking into people’s accounts when all the sudden you see your three best friends hanging out without you. It may be fun, but can also lead to some heartbreak.

#3 It can lead to being obsessive

Lurking through someone’s social media is all fun and games until you can’t stop doing it. I have found myself constantly looking at people’s accounts on a daily basis. It can become an obsession when you spend hours upon hours scrolling through someone’s private account which can lead to being stalker-ish.