Investigating University Students' Social Media Stalking Situations

Year 2024, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 92 - 105, 31.03.2024

İrem Lâl Özdemir Nezih Önal

https://doi.org/10.38151/akef.2024.132

Abstract

While the increasing use of social media today provides advantages in various aspects of our lives, the problems that these platforms bring also come to light. One of these is "stalking", which is a situation where a person uses social media to access more information about other people's private lives or experiences. Excessive stalking and sending unwanted, disturbing messages can lead to social media harassment. In addition, constantly checking people's social media accounts can lead to severe social media addiction. This study aims to investigate the situation of university students' stalking on social media. In the research, phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, is adopted. Within the scope of the research, 27 students were interviewed using a semi-structured interview form. In the analysis of the data, content analysis was used. Participants' views on the effect of social media on stalking were coded by content analysis and presented in seven different themes, and their experiences were visualized with word clouds. As a result of the research, it was seen that the participants mostly act with a sense of curiosity and frequently stalk their inner circle on social media, and that stalking is more popular due to the accessibility of social media. It was also observed that individuals subjected to stalking are more anxious in their daily lives, and this makes them uncomfortable. It was concluded that excessive stalking can lead to addiction and that precautions should be taken. Based on these results, different suggestions are made about stalking on social media. As an alternative, before stalking turns into an addiction, measures such as seeking psychological support, limiting the time allocated to social media and conducting various awareness activities can be taken. As for future research, the phenomenon of stalking can be investigated in students at the high school-level, and a case study can be developed.

Keywords

Stalking, Social Media, University Student, Persistent Tracking, Social Media Addiction

Ethical Statement

Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University Ethics Committee., Date 16.05.2023, Number: 2023/07-10

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Sosyal Medyadaki Stalklama Durumlarının İncelenmesi

Abstract

Günümüzde giderek artan sosyal medya kullanımı her ne kadar hayatımıza çeşitli yönlerden avantaj sağlasada, bu platformların beraberinde getirdiği sorunlar da gün yüzüne çıkmaktadır. Bunlardan biri olan “stalking”, bir diğer adıyla ısrarlı takip, kişinin sosyal medyayı kullanarak insanların özel hayatları veya yaşantıları hakkında daha fazla bilgiye ulaşması durumudur. Stalklamanın aşırıya kaçması ve istenmeyen, rahatsız edici mesajlar gönderilmesi sosyal medya tacizine sebebiyet vermektedir. Ayrıca sürekli olarak insanların sosyal medya hesaplarını kontrol etmek ileri düzeyde sosyal medya bağımlılığına dönüşebilir. Bu araştırmanın amacı üniversite öğrencilerinin sosyal medyadaki stalklama durumlarının incelenmesidir. Araştırmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden olgubilim deseni benimsenmiştir. Araştırmada yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılarak 27 öğrenci ile görüşme gerçekleştirilmiştir. Elde edilen verilerin analizinde içerik analizi kullanılmıştır. Katılımcıların sosyal medyanın stalklamaya etkisi konusundaki görüşleri içerik analizi ile kodlanarak yedi farklı tema halinde sunulmuş, kendi tecrübeleri ise kelime bulutlarıyla görselleştirilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda katılımcıların en çok merak duygusuyla hareket edip sosyal medyada sıklıkla yakın çevrelerini stalkladıklarını ve sosyal medyanın erişim kolaylığı sayesinde stalklama eyleminin daha popüler olduğu görülmüştür. Ayrıca stalklamaya maruz kalan bireylerin günlük hayatlarında daha tedirgin oldukları ve bu durumun onlara rahatsızlık verdiği gözlemlenmiştir. Aşırı stalklamanın bağımlılığa yol açabileceği ve bunun hakkında önlemler alınması gerektiği saptanmıştır. Sonuçlara dayanarak sosyal medyada stalklama eylemi hakkında farklı öneriler getirilmiştir. Buna örnek olarak stalking bir bağımlılığa dönüşmeden önce psikolojik destek alınması, sosyal medyaya ayrılan zamanın sınırlandırılması ve çeşitli farkındalık çalışmalarının yapılması gibi önlemler alınabilir. Gelecek araştırmalar için stalking olgusu lise seviyesindeki öğrencilerle incelenebilir ve bir durum çalışması geliştirilebilir.

Keywords

Stalking, Sosyal Medya, Üniversite Öğrencisi, Israrlı Takip, Sosyal Medya Bağımlılığı

References

• Bogolyubova, O., Panicheva, P., Tikhonov, R., Ivanov, V., & Ledovaya, Y. (2018). Dark personalities on Facebook: Harmful online behaviors and language. Computers in Human Behavior, 78, 151–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.09.032
• Carr, C. T., & Hayes, R. A. (2015). Social media: Defining, developing, and divining. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 23(1), 46-65, https://doi.org/10.1080/15456870.2015.972282
• Datareportal. (2023, February 13). Digital 2023: Turkey. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-turkey
• Dhir, A., Talwar, S., Kaur, P., Budhiraja, S., & Islam, N. (2021). The dark side of social media: Stalking, online self-disclosure and problematic sleep. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 45(6), 1373–1391. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs
• Esen, R. & Yengin, D. (2021). Yeni medya bağımlılığında photolurking sonucu ortaya çıkan dijital şiddet üzerine bir inceleme [A Study on Digital Violence Caused by Photolurking in New Media]. e-Journal of New Media, 5(2), 156-171. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/ejnm/issue/62010/856483
• Fox, J., & Moreland, J. J. (2015). The dark side of social networking sites: An exploration of the relational and psychological stressors associated with Facebook use and affordances. Computers in Human Behavior, 45, 168–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.11.083
• Fox J. (2016). The dark side of social networking sites in romantic relationships. In Wiederhold, B. K., Riva, G., & Cipresso P. (Eds.), The psychology of social networking: Communication, presence, identity, and relationships in online communities, 78-86. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110473780-009
• Güleç, B. & Köker, N. E., (2021). Sosyal medyada gözetleme motivasyonları: Instagram kullanıcıları üzerine bir araştırma [Surveillance Motivations of Social Media: A Research on Instagram Users]. Dokuz Eylul University The Journal of Graduate School of Social Sciences, 23(1), 79-107. https://doi.org/10.16953/deusosbil.734526
• Haron, H., & Yusof, F. B. M. (2010). Cyber stalking: The social impact of social networking technology. 2010 International Conference on Education and Management Technology, Cairo, Egypt, 237-241. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICEMT.2010.5657665
• Hou, Y., Xiong, D., Jiang, T., Song, L., & Wang, Q. (2019). Social media addiction: Its impact, mediation, and intervention. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 13(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.5817/CP2019-1-4
• Howard, P. N., & Parks, M. R. (2012). Social media and political change: Capacity, constraint, and consequence. Journal of Communication, 62, 359–362. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2012.01626.x
• İsmayilzada, L., & Topçu, O. (2019). New Privacy Concept in Social Media in Digital Surveillance Society. Communication and Technology Congress. https://doi.org/10.7456/ctc_2019_16
• Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53, 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003
• Koç, N. E. (2019) Photolurking, An Example of Digital Disorder Within the Context of Digital Privacy Phenomenon in Turkey. Communication and Technology Congress. https://doi.org/10.7456/ctc_2019_18
• Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). Social Networking Sites and Addiction: Ten Lessons Learned. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(3), 311. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14030311
• Lelisho, M. E., Pandey, D., Alemu, B. D., Pandey, B. K., & Tareke, S. A. (2023). The negative impact of social media during COVID-19 pandemic. Trends in Psychology, 31(1), 123-142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-022-00192-5
• Lyndon, A., Bonds-Raacke, J., & Cratty, A. D. (2011). College students' Facebook stalking of ex-partners. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 14(12), 711-716. http://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2010.0588
• Marwick, A. (2012). The Public Domain: Surveillance in everyday life. Surveillance & Society, 9(4), 378-393. https://doi.org/10.24908/ss.v9i4.4342
• Meloy, J. R. (2007). Stalking: the state of the science. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 17, 1–7.
• Olcay, S. (2018). Sosyalleşmenin dijitalleşmesi olarak sosyal medya ve resimler arasında kaybolma bozukluğu: Photolurking [Digitalization of Socialization as Social Media and Getting Lost Disorder in Photos: Photolurking]. e-Journal of New Media, 2(2), 90-104. https://doi.org/10.17932/IAU.EJNM.25480200.2018.2/2.90-104
• Özdemir, Z. (2019). Üniversite öğrencilerinde sosyal medya bağımlılığı [Social Media Addiction Among University Students]. Beykoz Academy Journal, 7(2), 91-105. https://doi.org/10.14514/byk.m.26515393.2019.7/2.91-105
• Pang, H., & Quan, L. (2024). Assessing Detrimental Influences of Fear of Missing Out on Psychological Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Self-Presentation, Upward Contrast, and Social Media Stalking. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-024-10272-6
• Sales, J. N., Tiongco, R., Lu, S., Ruiz, M. J., Cruz, J., & Prudente, M. (2024). Personal Privacy and Cyber Security: Student Attitudes, Awareness, and Perception on the Use of Social Media: Student Attitudes, Awareness, and Perception on the Use of Social Media. International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 16(1), 175-190. https://ijci.globets.org/index.php/IJCI/article/view/1398
• Sandal, C. D. (2023). Spiritist social media: Seeing-practices, participation, and alternative realities. In S. B. Pedersen, M. Cronqvist, & U. Holgersson (Eds.), Expanding media histories: Cultural and material perspectives, 51–84. http://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.9165175.6
• Sheridan, L., Davies, G., & Boon, J. (2001). The course and nature of stalking: A victim perspective. The Howard Journal, 40(3), 215-234
• Swenson-Lepper, T., & Kerby, A. (2019) Cyberbullies, trolls, and stalkers: Students’ perceptions of ethical issues in social media. Journal of Media Ethics, 34(2), 102-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/23736992.2019.1599721
• Tandon, A., Dhir, A., Talwar, S., Kaur, P., & Mäntymäki, M., (2021). Dark consequences of social media-induced fear of missing out (FoMO): Social Media Stalking, Comparisons, and Fatigue. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120931
• Tokunaga R. S. (2011). Social networking site or social surveillance site? Understanding the use of interpersonal electronic surveillance in romantic relationships. Computers in Human Behavior, 27, 705–713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.08.014
• Tokunaga, R. S. (2015). Interpersonal surveillance over social network sites. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 33(2), 171– 190. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407514568749
• Yıldırım, A. & Şimşek, H. (2021). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri [Qualitative Research Methods in Social Sciences]. (12th ed.). Seçkin Publications.
• Yıldırım, M. (2021). Örneklem ve örnekleme yöntemleri [Sampling and Sampling Methods]. Şen, S & Yıldırım, İ. (Eds.) Research Methods in Education. (2nd ed., pp. 61-92). Nobel Academic Publishing.
• Zhu, X., Zhang, X., Li, Z., & Jiang, H. (2023). Exploring associations between social media addiction, social media fatigue, fear of missing out and sleep quality among university students: A cross-section study. PLoS One, 18(10). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292429