Whether or not you want to admit it, we are all Creepers. It’s something we’ve all done from time to time. You know, like that time you were in the library, trying to read your National Geographic, but you found yourself giggling at Jane Doe’s intense emotional break-down two cubicles away. Don’t lie to yourself, I bet not only did you find it hysterical, you also backtracked her Facebook page for “further research”, didn’t you?
Ok, maybe that’s just me. Unhealthy or not, I am proud to say I am a Creeper, and you should be too. Creeping really isn’t that bad. Once you get over the slanderous title, you realize something: whenever someone says “Creeper” they’re just really jealous of your observation skills. Plus, not only is Creeping harmless, it’s entertaining and beneficial. Let me explain.
Nowadays, there are a variety of sources of entertainment which surround us, but Creeping is the most essential entertainment source of them all. In fact, one entertaining method of Creeping is eavesdropping, which is cheap, mobile and user friendly. Eavesdropping does not require any money to be spent because all one needs to eavesdrop is one’s ears. From there, as long as your ears are present, the process of eavesdropping can be initiated by simply listening intently to whatever captivates you while awkwardly loitering. Take for example, commuting with public transit. The common person who spends their time travelling long distances via public transit is often seen with an iPod. Though this is a great device for entertainment, eavesdropping is of a higher calibre of entertainment. iPods are costly, running from $54.95 to $398.99, whereas eavesdropping is free. Though iPods are mobile, the more you carry them around is the greater risk you have of losing it or having it stolen. In comparison, no matter how hard you try to misplace your eavesdropping skills, they will always be with you, unless you lose your hearing, which I’d assume would be from listening to your iPod too loudly. If that were the case, you are at a great loss because not only can you not hear your iPod, which you wasted money on, you cannot eavesdrop either. Finally, everyone knows how frustrating setting up and learning to use an iPod is. On the other hand, to eavesdrop, no prior skill or practise is needed, thus allowing one to eavesdrop flawlessly upon one’s first try. It’s so simple, even caveman could do it.
In addition to entertainment, Creeping is also very beneficial. Aside from eavesdropping, another Creeper technique which yields benefit is lurking. Lurking is a skill which is slowly made better from practise and is typically done via the internet, most commonly on Facebook and other social networks. Lurking is beneficial because it provides one with the satisfaction of exploration and discovery. Lurking is what these organizations thrive on, so why not exploit it to its fullest? It’s just as simple and harmless as eavesdropping. To begin the process, you choose someone you’d like to lurk. From there, you dedicate time to inconspicuously browsing, studying or tracing their profile, fan pages, applications, events, groups, etcetera. The more one lurks, the more stealthy and efficient one becomes at lurking. Lurking is beneficial because it sharpens one’s exploration skills, seeing that one must strategize systems as to how one will go about attaining the knowledge that one seeks. In the end, one is then pleased by their discovery due to the vast amount of information they were able to gather from such hard work. Though the common 21st century geek who is constantly in search of knowledge would probably tell you to use Wikipedia as a means of filling your data void, Wikipedia is not as beneficial as lurking social networks. Lurking Wikipedia is a different type of exploration, where one discovers information on boring topics such as the gender of the Magnolia plant, which may be edited by any person who views the webpage. Lurking Facebook allows one to find information on people one sees on a regular basis which can go towards, for instance, starting conversations. Furthermore, all information under covered is 100% true because it was more than likely typed by the person of research, unless they were hacked.
For those who don’t agree, I know what you’re thinking: you’re thinking, who is proud about being a Creeper? I understand that nowadays, many would not openly accept such a title due to many of the stereotypes which entrench our world. After doing a little research myself, I found that many stereotypes given to Creepers include:
1. All Creepers are the result of over-exposure to the internet.
2. All Creepers are socially inept, handicapped, lacking, confused, frustrated, and awkward.
3. All Creepers will, at some point in their life, appear a nation’s Most Wanted list.
Though all stereotypes are supported strongly, all claims are false for they are only true for majority of Creepers, not all. In all fairness, some Creepers are remotely normal. In addition, many may ask why would one need to eavesdrop? Why not invest in some form of technology which can keep one entertained without invading other’s privacy? Why spend hours on Facebook, if you want to explore or discover, why not use Google? The truth of the matter is, it’s not invasion of personal space if it’s in the public. If you don’t want you information to be used against you, don’t leave it out in the open. And who really believes in investments anymore? We are in a recession, and I don’t know about others, but I don’t have the kind of money for investments in technology. I work $9.75 an hour, and to shell out $229.39 for an unreliable Blackberry, today’s most extravagant and overrated instrument of entertainment, is ridiculous. Blackberries and most technology can’t even withstand water, which composes about 70% of our earth and daily activity. In fact, unless broken upon tampering with the packaging, I’m not even guaranteed money back if it so much as malfunctions from doing the hundreds of tasks it was made to do. With eavesdropping, not only is it cheap, it’s foolproof and waterproof. Also, using Google is dangerous. Seriously, I’m sure you know of all the useless and unfortunate things your eyes will see if you so much as type in the wrong word in the search bar. Facebook, on the other hand, is a monitored environment, for the most part.
It’s like I said earlier, no matter how hard you try, you can’t escape the fact that we are all Creepers. There are many reasons why one does, but the two I advocate are entertainment and benefit. I’ll admit, though it is a peculiar habit, let me ask you this: name one time you didn’t mind you own business and walked away feeling like you should’ve?
