The public should have a more strict understanding of internet safety because stalking and cyberstalking are serious issues in our society. This problem can result in harm being placed on celebrities and individuals.
An article from Fox News covered a recent horrific incident in Tokyo where a Japanese pop star was stalked and assaulted by a man who used a selfie she posted on social media to find out where she lived. He was able to zoom in on the photo and see the reflection of a building through her pupils; then using Google Street View he could pinpoint her location. Popstar, Ena Matsuoka had just returned from a concert when the assault occurred just outside her door. The attacker, Hibiki Sato, was arrested after the fact and turned out to be a huge fan of Matsuoka. People, especially celebrities, are being warned to be extra cautious when taking pictures and selfies that show surrounding buildings because it can identify their location. Celebrities are not the only ones that need to worry about stalkers.
Many social media accounts are public; even if they are private, any accepted follower can view an individual’s account. According to USC News, it is important not to victim-blame when it comes to cyberstalking. Cyberstalking is relatively self-explanatory, and people need to understand that when posting anything on the internet it is public and can be used against you. This is still in no way the fault of the victim of a cyberstalker.
The general public, along with celebrities, needs to have a more strict understanding of internet safety. Young people especially need to be aware of the dangers of stalking concerning the internet and social media. Since social media is made to be public it is very hard to have privacy. It is common knowledge that it is easy to find out tremendous amounts of information about an individual just by searching their name. It can be hard to tell when cyberstalking has crossed a line. Most people are guilty of online stalking of some sort but to a lesser degree. When first following someone’s account, it is common to look through their posts, even from months before. The point of following others on social media is to stay up to date with their lives, which is not cyberstalking. It is important to know when the line of having a follower and having a stalker is crossed. According to USC News, it is common for victims to think they are overreacting and second-guess themselves when they come across a cyberstalker. These behaviors should not be normalized in society.
According to Asia One, Japan has revised its anti-stalking laws to also cover online stalking and harassment. This change was made after an incident where singer Mayu Tomita was stabbed over a dozen times by an alleged stalker. She had reported the stalker prior to the stabbing but the case was dismissed. These instances are proof why cyberstalking needs to be taken more seriously and why users of social media need to find ways to protect themselves.
Social media, when used correctly, can be a great tool. The problems come when individuals take advantage of others’ information by stalking or harassing them. It is terrifying to think that users of social media and the internet need to constantly be worried about cyberstalking, but it is important to know what to do to prevent it in the best ways possible. Good ways to prevent this from happening are: looking up your name to see what information is public, not using an identifiable profile picture, changing passwords frequently and choosing passwords that are not easily guessed. Cyberstalking is not something that should be taken lightly, it is important to speak up if it is occurring otherwise nothing will ever change.
