Why Stalk?

I would put money on it, that out of the 39 million active Facebook users all of them have or actively do "Facebook stalk". This term refers to looking at someone's Facebook profile, and viewing their pictures, recent actions, whom they have been talking with, who has been talking to them, etc. At first, I think the word stalk seems a little harsh, however, after thinking about it and realizing how much even I do it, I think the word stalk is extremely appropriate for the action. It is SO creepy to me that virtually any one can see information about you and if you chose to friend someone they can pretty much know your day-to-day life. 

While I recognize the creepiness of Facebook in general, I admit that I am addicted to it. I do not think I could give it up for lent, let alone 24 hours! It may be kind of sad, but it is also fascinating how fascinated we are with one another. When I find myself "stalking" I am most likely either looking at pictures of those closest to me, as a way to sort of keep in touch, or looking up somebody whom I do not even like. For some reason, the people's lives who we do not care for are sometimes even more interesting then the people's lives who we do like. Why is this? Is the vindictiveness of human nature? To try to look down on someone and judge them? Are we trying to find their flaws so we can magnify them in our minds? Or do we secretly envy what they are doing in their lives? Why are we so interested? If all of their information about what they do daily was not so easily accessible, would we even think about these people? Does Facebook bring out mean spiritedness in people? 

I do not know if we would care as much about people's lives who we do not even like if it were for Facebook and the stalking opportunities it fosters. However, Facebook surely does make everyone's life appear more interesting--which is why I believe we stalk to begin with. Sometimes, I even stalk myself,  somedays I just find myself more interesting in FB profile form!