Stalking Ex’s

Social media in the world today makes it very easy for ex significant others to ‘stalk’ one another. After reading ‘Why I Stopped Stalking My Ex On FB‘ it is easy to see how even if a couple separates, they can still feel their ‘cyber presence’. Rachel Kramer Bussel had said that after the split between her and her boyfriend,  “even though I wasn’t communicating with him, I was still communing with his cyber presence”. It is clear that social media, such as Facebook, can make a break up much harder simply because of the constant reminder of the person.

Rachel describes her Facebook stalking as an “emotionally safe way of keeping up with him”. The reality of this is that by stalking her ex boyfriend’s Facebook, Rachel had said that she felt as if the logical part of her had disappeared. What made Rachel realize that she could no longer go on stalking her ex’s social media, was when a photo of his new fiancé’s engagement ring popped up on her news feed. This incident had led Rachel to end her obsession of stalking, and continue her life without knowing every detail of her ex’s life.

This article can be very relatable for myself and other college students. Personally, I have experienced a bad break up that resulted in some social media stalking. The reality is, when a break up occurs, most of the time you become curious and want to see how the other person is doing. Unfortunately, it can become quite emotional to see certain things on social media, for example, Rachel seeing the engagement ring. If a break up happens, it happened for a reason. Therefore, it should be left alone, and the stalking should be kept to a minimum, if it is necessary at all. 

Celebrities & Stalking: James Franco

It is very common and almost expected for celebrities to be stalked. Fans, the media, and paparazzi, can all be accused of stalking celebrities from time to time. James Franco, a famous American actor, has had his fair share of stalked moments. This seems almost normal, for the fact that Franco is so famous, but would one question the stalking violation if it were the celebrity stalking the fan?

After reading the article, “James Franco Stalking Underage Girl,” I have come to the conclusion that James Franco is a creepy pervert. The article suggests that on April 2, 2014 after midnight, Franco had begun private messaging a fan via Instagram. Franco began bombarding the eighteen year old with suspicious questions such as, “where do you live?” “How long will you be in New York?” “Who are you with?” And “do you have a boyfriend?” After the Instagram incident phone numbers were exchanged and the conversation had become even more bizarre.

Franco began texting the girl requesting that they meet up, asking “tomorrow or Thursday?” In disbelieve that the famous celebrity James Franco was actually texting her, the eighteen year old girl questioned if the man behind the phone was truly Franco. Franco responded with a photo of himself waving to her. This was not nearly enough proof for the young girl. She responded by saying “one second, I will meet you if you write my name on a piece of paper then send it to me with your face also in the picture, please”. Franco had done just that, which proves the accused celebrity to be guilty of the stalking. 

This article had made me question Franco as a person. Yes, celebrities are stalked on a regular basis, so many would ask what the big deal is regarding this situation. The problem is what Franco has done to his image and his career. Was it really necessary for Franco to harass this random young girl, and did he really believe that it would not become viral? Franco has unfortunately damaged his reputation which could indeed effect his career for years to come.