How people spy on others online

One speaks of “cyberstalking” when someone uses the Internet or other technologies to “sneak up” on another person online and spy on them. The social media feeds of friends, colleagues, (ex-) partners are usually targeted , family members, but also strangers.

Online stalking is mostly done out of sheer curiosity. However, due to the anonymity of the internet, some people let go of any inhibitions.

A survey of 2,000 people commissioned by Versa now shows how widespread online stalking is, which apps are used and what effects it has on the psyche of the stalker. Their attitude was rated on a scale from 1 to 5. The higher the value, the more intensive their surfing behavior turns out to be.

Facebook, Instagram & Co. – the most popular apps for spying
Love it or hate it, we all scroll through social media apps from time to time—whether intentionally or mindlessly. But which apps are the most popular for “poking around”?

Aside from 21.5 percent of respondents who said they don’t use any apps at all, their favorite social media apps are Facebook (56.9%), Instagram (49.9%), and Twitter (23.7%). to spy on the internet.

The career portal LinkedIn (14%), the video portal Tik Tok (14%), the messaging service Snapchat (11.2%) and YouTube (9.9%) are somewhat less popular.

Online stalking affects young and old
Online stalking is not a question of age. Although Generation Z (born 1995 to 2010) with a value of 3.52 and Millennials (3.39) are most often caught cyberstalking, Generation X (born 1965 to 1980) and Baby Boomers (born 1965 to 1980) . 1946 to 1964) are still active as Internet detectives with values ​​of 2.93 and 2.21 respectively.

One in six Gen Z respondents has created a fake profile to view other people’s profiles anonymously, and three in five Gen Z and Millennial respondents also admitted to browsing other people’s accounts several times a day.

Cyberstalking harms the psyche
Studies have shown that intensive engagement with social networks can have a negative impact on people’s psyches. Younger female Internet users in particular feel stressed from regularly browsing social media channels.

One in two Gen Z and Millennials admitted that looking at other people’s profiles has a “negative” impact on their mental health. With a rate of 40 to 28 percent, significantly more women than men are affected.

When asked about the feelings they experience when stalking online, 23 percent of the respondents named feelings of envy, around 20 percent reduced self-esteem and almost 16 percent sadness.

However, positive feelings such as motivation (20%), desire (13%) and an increase in self-esteem (11%) were also mentioned. However, the majority (48%) felt they had no emotional response to online stalking.

Generation Z is celebrity addicts
The survey also aims to answer the question of which people are targeted by cyberstalkers: 80 percent of those surveyed said that they regularly check their friends’ social media profiles, while 19 percent are curious about what their ex- partner like that.

21 percent of them even indulge in this habit several times a week. But celebrities are also very popular, especially among the younger generation: 56 percent of those surveyed in Generation Z regularly take a look at the profiles of celebrities, more than in any other age group.

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