Ah, the modern-day version of peeking through someone’s window—stalking their Instagram.
We’ve all been there, scrolling through our ex’s profile, trying to decipher their latest cryptic caption or decode who that new person in their pictures might be. But what happens when the tables turn and it’s your ex who’s doing the stalking?
Suddenly, your carefully curated grid becomes a battleground for their lingering affections and your latest post becomes a weapon in the game of post-breakup chess.
So, why is your ex stalking your Instagram? Pull up a chair and let’s find out.
Back in 2012, Facebook purchased Instagram, a free online image-sharing tool and website for social networking. Via a smartphone application, Instagrammers may modify and publish pictures and quick videos. Once tagged with hashtags or location information, a user’s posts are accessible to everyone and show up on their friends’ Instagram newsfeeds. In order for just their followers to see their postings, people additionally have the option to make their profiles hidden.
Here are given an idea of the different types of accounts you may have on Instagram:
| Account type | Features |
| Private | Only followers can see your content |
| Public | Everyone can see the content |
| Professional account | Preferably keep private with regular posting |
What Does Stalking Actually Mean?
We’ve all been there, scrolling through our Instagram feeds, double-tapping on our friends’ posts, and maybe even indulging in a little harmless creeping on our exes’ profiles. But what happens when the scrolling goes too far and your ex can’t seem to resist stalking your every post?
Let’s break it down.
No—not the kind you do in a forest with binoculars, but the kind where you browse through someone’s Insta pics without commenting, liking, or engaging in any way.
Stalking, in the simplest terms, means browsing someone’s Instagram images without commenting, for the sole purpose of viewing them. And while it may seem innocent enough, stalking can take on a life of its own, including unsolicited gifts, messages, and even threatening behavior.
Instagram stalkers take it up a notch by relentlessly contacting their victims to the point of harassment. They spend countless hours poring over posts and stories, like a CSI detective trying to crack a case.
It’s common for stalkers to be consumed by an uncontrollable compulsion with their targets, and they frequently devote considerable time to looking via postings and Instagram stories.
But here’s the kicker: it’s illegal. Yep, anti-stalking laws apply online too, regardless of gender, race, or social status. So, if you’re tempted to go all Nancy Drew on your ex’s Insta, think twice before you end up in the slammer.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, defamation, and harassing legislation, stalking someone online in an abusive manner is a crime. Stalking is illegal in every state as well as on the state level in the United States. Although males are more likely to commit stalking than females, men can also become targets.
What Are The Reasons Why I’m Stalked By My Ex On IG?
It’s a tale as old as time: boy meets girl, boy, and girl fall in love, boy and girl break up, and one of them can’t resist the temptation to stalk the other on Instagram. But why do exes feel the need to keep tabs on their former partners long after the relationship has ended?
Here are some common reasons why exes can’t resist the urge to scroll through their ex’s Insta feed:
- Lack Of Closure
Sometimes, a breakup can leave one or both parties feeling like they didn’t get the closure they needed.
They might turn to social media to try and fill in the gaps, hoping that seeing what their ex is up to will help them move on.
- Jealousy And Competition
When a breakup is particularly messy or one-sided, jealousy and competition can rear their ugly heads.
Seeing your ex move on with someone else can be a bitter pill to swallow, and some people can’t resist the urge to check up on their ex’s new flame.
- Curiosity About The Ex’s Life
Let’s face it, we’re all a little bit curious about what our exes are up to after a breakup.
Instagram can be a window into someone’s life, and some people can’t resist the temptation to peek inside.
- An Attempt To Reconnect
For some people, stalking their ex on Instagram is a way to try and reconnect.
They might leave comments or slide into their ex’s DMs, hoping to start a conversation and possibly even rekindle the relationship.
- Manipulation And Control
Finally, some exes use Instagram as a way to exert control over their former partner.
They might leave passive-aggressive comments or try to make their ex jealous by posting pictures with new partners. It’s a toxic behavior that can be hard to break free from.
How To Make Sure Your Ex Is Stalking You Or Not?
Breaking up is hard to do, but what’s even harder is when one person just can’t let go. Enter the ex-stalker, the person who just can’t resist checking up on their former flame, like a private investigator with a smartphone. But how can you tell if your ex is stalking your Insta without actually confronting them?
First things first, if your ex is using their own account to stalk you, they’re leaving behind a digital trail of evidence. Keep an eye on who’s viewing your stories and you might just catch them in the act. But if they’re getting stealthy, they might be using a fake account with no profile picture or posts, like a ninja in the shadows.
If you’re really serious about finding out who’s creeping on your profile, you can always turn to third-party apps for help. “Find my stalker” and InReports are just a couple of options available on Google Play and the App Store. Just be sure to read the fine print before downloading, you don’t want to accidentally sign up for a stalker-stalking app by mistake.
What To Do To Prevent Ex From Stalking You On Instagram?
Stalkers are always a threat to the ones who are being stalked and they often feel themselves under constant fear. So, if you’re facing such a problem, here I’ve come up with some ideas that you may consider in order to save yourself from stalkers.
Don’t feel the need to share private data through social networking sites. Your propensity to be stalked and cyber bullied increases the more data you put publicly available. Choose a clever fictitious name if the social networking platform doesn’t really compel you to use the real identity.
To figure out whatever data stalkers could obtain, simply Google yourself. Get your complete name, nickname, contact information, and postal address. You may also try taking a look for images of yourself. There seem to be methods to erase your identity from search rankings and certain other websites, as well as ways to completely eliminate yourself from the online realm if you come across anything that worries you.
Can You Spot Your Stalker In Your Story Views?
The sequence in which your friends or followers view your Instagram story has a lot of misconceptions associated with it. But actually, it doesn’t give you any information about who is stalking you. Also, the things like who is engaging the most with your content.
The sequence of your friends and followers in the story viewers only tells about the order in which they watch your story. The one who viewed it first will appear on the bottom while the last viewer will be at the top of all. By seeing the viewers you will also get an idea whether someone is stalking you or not as he or she will continuously view your story even if you haven’t added them as followers.
Final Verdict
- The above article highlights one of the most prominent issues, Instagrammers or people using any kind of social media platform face that is stalking.
- Firstly, the article briefly introduces us to the concept of stalking and highlights it as a crime in both the online as well as the real world.
- Some of the possible ways to find out if you’re being stalked by someone or not are given in the article written above.