To be honest, a lot of people still do stalk their exes on social media. There is no universal reason for that. The majority of them do it out of curiosity, some do it out of their feelings for you, while some do it to see if you have moved on or not.
When your ex is stalking you on social media it is mostly for an emotional motive – it could be that they still love you and they feel alone that you ain’t in their life anymore.
On the other hand, these exes are often the jealous types. And the jealous types, care so much about “If I can’t have you nobody can” and it’s the more reason they keep stalking you.
So now your ex is stalking you on social media. What do you do?
10 Things To Do When Your Ex is Stalking You
It can be tough to deal with an ex who won’t stop stalking you on social media but don’t worry, we’re here to help. Here are 10 things you can do to make the situation more manageable:
- Block them on social media
- Do not engage with them in any way
- Set your accounts to private
- Do not post about your personal life
- Block their phone number
- Ignore their texts and keep a log of their stalking behavior
- Change your phone number and email address
- Reach out to a friend or family member
- Report their behavior to the social media platforms
- Seek legal action if necessary
Block Them on Social Media
If your ex is stalking you on social media, the first thing you need to do is block them. This will help stop the harassment and keep them from being able to see your posts.
When a stalker ex is blocked, you won’t have to bother with his messages popping on your phone, and eventually, they will give up sending you those messages when they don’t get a reply from you.
Blocking them on all social media is a healthy and wise move because social media contains all the memories you two share. And keeping any trace of an ex can trigger memories; positive or negative, and it works against moving on to the next chapters of your life.
But it’s not just about blocking them because they might turn out to create another account to they can be able to reach you, so what you need to do is make sure that you’re not posting anything that could be seen as provocative.
For example, if you’re going out with friends, don’t post pictures of yourself out having a good time. This will just fuel their obsession and they’ll likely stalk you even more.
The best thing you can do is stay off of social media altogether until things have cooled down. This way, they won’t be able to get a glimpse of your life and it will help take the power away from them.
Do Not Engage With Them in any way
Try not to engage with them in any way. This means no comments, no likes, and definitely no replies. It might be tough, but it’s the best way to make sure they get the message that you’re not interested in them anymore.
If you do engage with them, they’ll only think that they still have a chance with you. So, in all seriousness, do not engage, no matter how angry and triggered you feel, do not engage.
It encourages more of their weird behavior. If you fall into their trap by engaging them in any way, you’ve given them hope. And the last thing you want is for your ex to think that they have hope of having you back.
Ex simply means former, past, and history. You cannot live in both the past and the future. Keep your past behind you and let it stay there. Because it’s impossible to move forward if you can know what they are doing all the time.
Set Your Accounts to Private
Making sure your accounts are set to private can prevent your ex from stalking you further. He or she can’t see your updates. This will help you avoid any embarrassing situations.
Trying to limit the amount of information you share on social media is also one of the ways of setting your account private. Don’t post anything that’s going to give your ex a reason to keep stalking you.
And finally, if all else fails, block your ex from your social media accounts. This is the last resort, but it’s something you can do if you feel like you’re being harassed.
Do Not Post About Your Personal Life
One of the things to do when your ex is stalking you is to not post about your personal life.
Posting about your personal life or your day-to-day activities might seem like a good idea at the time, but when your ex is stalking you on social media, the last thing you want to do is to upload a post about your personal life.
This is especially true if you’re still trying to move on from the relationship. Why? Because it gives your ex more ammunition to use against you. And trust me, they’ll use it. They’ll say things like, “See, I told you I was right all along,” or “You’re still not over me, are you?”
So if you’re going through a tough breakup, try to refrain from talking about it on social media. It’s only going to make things worse.
Block Their Phone Number
If your ex is stalking you on social media, another thing you need to do is block their phone number. This will ensure that they can no longer contact you through text or phone calls.
Whatever the case, it is essential that you be upfront and express your disinterest in further interaction with them.
Being friendly is not a consideration because when stalking is involved, things can rapidly turn bad and it’s important to try to protect yourself. Block them speedily and unapologetically.
It might also be a good idea to block their account on all of your social media platforms. This will make it difficult for them to spy on your activity, and it will also make it harder for them to harass you.
Ignore Their Texts and keep a log of their stalking behavior
If it’s happening, you need to take action. One step is to ignore all texts from your ex. (It might be a good idea to screenshot them first, just in case.)
Keep a log of their stalking behavior. This includes time, date, and what they’re doing on social media. Try to capture as much information as possible so you have concrete proof of their stalking.
If things really worsened, consider getting help from a professional. This is definitely a situation where you don’t want to go it alone. Having an objective third party can help you get through this tough time.
Change your email and phone number
If your ex is stalking you on social media, amongst the aforementioned things, another thing you need to do is change your phone number and email address.
This will help you cut off all communication with them and make it much more difficult for them to track you down.
If you’re feeling really unsafe, you might want to consider changing your name and moving to a new town. This is a drastic step, but it’s something that might be necessary if your ex is threatening your safety.
These drastic changes to your phone number and email address, ensure to keep paper records of the financial effect this has on you.
If the changes are strong enough, this may act as huge support in legal proceedings and may even serve as a basis for monetary compensation.
Changing your phone number or email address might not be enough, you will also want to consider deleting your social media accounts altogether.
This will make it much harder for your ex to keep tabs on you, and it will also make it difficult for them to harass you online.
Reach out to a friend or family member
If your ex is stalking you on social media, it can be really, really scary. You might feel like you’re being watched all the time, and that’s not a feeling anyone should have to deal with.
Ask a friend or member of your family for support. Tell them about your situation and your feelings. Let them know what your ex is doing and see if they can help you come up with a plan to deal with the situation.
You can get other people to keep an eye on you by telling close family members and friends about the stalker situation.
It might even be a smart option to suggest that your friends and family call or drop by occasionally to see how you’re doing.
It’s important to take stalking behavior seriously and not find a way to deal with it on your own.
Friends and family members are a great resource, and they’ll want to help you if they can. Don’t be afraid to ask for their support.
Report Their Behavior to the social media platforms
If your ex is stalking you on social media, it’s important to report their behavior to the platforms.
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all have policies in place that prohibit stalking and harassment, and they want to make sure their platforms are safe for users.
So when you see that your ex is following you or has been tagging you in photos, make sure to report it. The social media team will review the behavior and take appropriate action.
Don’t worry about overreacting. You shouldn’t have to keep putting up with somebody else’s behavior if it makes you feel uncomfortable, angry, or terrified. If you are concerned, act quickly.
So, go ahead and report the weird behavior to all the social media platforms.
Seek legal action if necessary
The bitter truth about a stalking ex is that they’re not dealing with reality and this can become a threat to you because you’re not following their rules. Stalking is neither a minor issue nor a simple inconvenience.
It’s not something you should tolerate because it can cause harm to you. So in a case where your ex is stalking you and it’s becoming a problem, then you may need to seek legal action.
This measure is necessary, don’t be too kind and afraid of hurting their feelings, or even try to minimize their behavior and write it off as “not that serious”.
Remember, stalking is a crime, and it’s punishable by law. So if you’re not sure what to do, or if you feel like you’re in danger, contact the police and ask for help or file a report.
Let them know what’s been going on and they will be able to provide you with additional support.
They’ll be able to advise you on the best course of action and may even be able to provide you with a restraining order to keep your ex away from you. Restraining orders are not so difficult to get too.
Understand that stalking can escalate into much more harmful behavior. It would be best to deal with it as early as possible, “a stitch in time saves nine”.
Conclusion
After you’ve met or started dating someone, if you notice even the tiniest hint of stalking, tell your friends about your worries and proceed with caution.
There are many kinds of stalker behavior you should check online to get properly informed, and each one warns that you could find yourself in trouble if you attempt to reach this person too closely.
Don’t think twice before you reach out for help. Your friends and family would be willing to.
We must be watchful at every stage of a love relationship, especially after a breakup, until we live in a world where we may all feel secure and protected once a relationship ends.