Generational Differences in Social Media Stalking Practices: A Comparative Study of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants

Autori:

Derya Gül ÜNLÜ, Fatmanur Arslan ESKIKÖY

Cod: ISSN: 1583-3410 (print), ISSN: 1584-5397 (electronic)
Dimensiuni: pp. 26-44

How to cite this article:

Ünlü, D.G., Eskiköy, F.A. (2026). Generational Differences in Social Media Stalking Practices: A Comparative Study of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants. Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala, 94, 26-44, DOI: 10.33788/rcis.94.2

Abstract:

Digital platforms are multi-layered interactive environments that go beyond simply serving as spaces for communication; they offer the opportunity to observe and monitor other users’ lives and engage in social comparison through shared content. The increasing integration of users into these environments has expanded and normalized online surveillance practices. This practice, known as stalking, is driven by motivations such as curiosity, information-seeking, and maintaining social connections; users are constantly caught in a cycle of monitoring and being monitored. However, the meaning and legitimacy of online monitoring practices are not the same for all user groups. There are differences in social media usage patterns and perceptions of privacy between digital native and digital immigrant groups. This study focuses on the stalking practices experienced by digital immigrants and digital natives; it aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the differences in how different generations define stalking behavior, their usage strategies, and motivations. To this end, a field study based on semi-structured face-to-face interviews with digital natives and immigrants was conducted. The results of the study revealed that digital immigrants engage in stalking to gather information, while digital natives do so to gain a deeper understanding of a person; while digital immigrants engage in stalking behavior driven by curiosity, digital natives develop comprehensive stalking strategies within the framework of a need for dominance and control in their interpersonal relationships. It was also found that participants associate the monitoring of content shared in digital environments with personal consent, and that stalking is accepted as a daily routine for digital natives.