What is it about?
This survey has shown that influencers may be at high risk of being stalked and harassed, especially online. We detail the kinds of stalking behaviours influencers have to deal with and how often they happen, as well as exploring why these behaviours might occur.
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Why is it important?
Being a social media influencer is a relatively new career option, and one that is very appealing and accessible to people of every age all around the world. Millions of people choose this career and, according to this survey, place themselves at greater risk of being stalked and harassed. The legal and psychology communities have little understanding of this issue and how to respond to it specifically. The first steps to preventing this form of stalking and protecting online public figures are to understand what types of stalking they are experiencing and why.
Perspectives
My hope is that this publication brings wider interest from the academic community to this issue, and acts as a first step in exploring the risks involved in choosing a career as an online public figure on social media. Being an influencer is an increasingly popular prospect to many people; it can be very lucrative, you can enjoy the freedom of working for yourself, and you can grow a following that looks up to you. It also means publicly interacting with a large, anonymous audience and sharing details of your life with them, and this carries risks. I would like to see us understand those risks better so that anyone going into this new career can be properly informed, prepared, and protected.
Will Fox
Simon Fraser University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Online stalking of Instagram influencers., Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, February 2024, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/tam0000226.
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