I am an Internet stalker. I am not ashamed to admit it, and I don’t try to hide it. I would stalk the person sitting across from me in class as they watch me with no regrets.
When I see an attractive person walking on campus, I will use everything in my power to find out who they are. When I do find out who they are I find them on every social networking site and admire their pictures, posts and interests for hours, imagining myself wrapped in their sheets with my clothes piled on the floor.
My stalking very rarely goes anywhere beyond eyeing the computer screen though. I do not poke people or send them direct messages. I find that extreme and don’t want to tarnish my reputation as a classy man.
Freshman occupational therapy major Jordan Armstead said she feels the same way about men sending her messages on Facebook.
“It’s creepy when I get messages from men on Facebook that I don’t know,” Armstead said. “Especially when we don’t even have mutual friends, it shows they are desperate, and that’s not cute. I would never hook up with someone from Facebook.
Other people don’t feel this way. Freshman mechanical engineering major Jake Luther said the last girl he had sex with he met over Facebook.
“I didn’t know who she was, but I sent her message asking her if she wanted to go to a party, and she said yes,” Luther said. “I had sex with her that night with TV on.”
Not only is hooking up easier because of technology, but many aspects of our sex lives can be done with a few clicks of a mouse. Dating, porn and even pictures of people we know are all lurking somewhere on the information superhighway.
In a decade where almost everything is done with the help of technology our sex lives can be completely lived through kilobytes. Ten years ago, people were barely texting let alone sexting.
Sexting, for those of you who live under a rock, is sexual texting. This includes dirty talk and sending naked pictures to someone. Living as a young adult full of hormones, I have indulged in sexting and sending my goodies to both complete strangers and sex partners. A decision that can come back and haunt me.
Freshman chemistry major Tori Hawkins has done it in the past as well but warns that people should be careful about it.
“You just have to make sure you trust the person you are sending pictures to,” Hawkins said. “Girls need to have more respect for their bodies.”
Freshman elementary education Ian Eakle said he disagrees completely. He uses sexting to decide whether or not he wants to hook up with girls.
“I always get girls to send me pictures by sweet talking them,” Eakle said. “If I don’t like what I see, I quit talking with them. That might sound bad, but I know what I want.”
It can be as quick as moving your thumb to send naked pictures but the aftermath could last a lot longer, like with sites similar to isanyoneup.com, if the message is sent as a mass message or an ex posting your picture for the world to see.
So if you’re brave enough to send your pictures, you better be comfortable you’re your body and ready to stand your ground.
