Tactics included checking out ex-girlfriends online and setting “coincidence” ambushes.

Japanese Internet portal Aikatsu, which caters to women in their 20s and 30s, bills itself as “A website with information to help you succeed in romance and finding a spouse.” Its most recent poll, though, asks women how far they’ve gone in trying to win the game of love.

The survey asked the question “Have you ever done anything stalker-like about a guy you have a crush on?” with participants selecting from one of eight levels of stalker-liness. 739 responses were collected, with the results being:

● Level 0: I haven’t done anything stalker-like. (13.8 percent of respondents)
● Level 1: I’ve checked out his social media accounts. (19.8 percent)

● Level 2: I’ve checked out the social media accounts of his friends or ex-girlfriend. (12.7 percent)
● Level 3: I’ve waited somewhere I knew he was going to be, then ambushed him by pretending we’d run into each other by coincidence. (14.3 percent)

● Level 4: I’ve gone to his part-time job/workplace. (6.8 percent)
● Level 5: I’ve secretly followed him. (7 percent)

● Level 6: I’ve gone to the front of the building he lives in. (13.9 percent)
● Level Max: I’ve gone beyond any of these. (11.6 percent)

While Aikatsu itself brought up the word “stalker” to describe these actions, some might argue that in the modern dating era, some of the things on the list don’t qualify a woman for that label. Taking a peek at someone’s publicly visible social media posts, for example, is considered by many to be simply doing your homework. Looking for potential red flags before seriously pursuing a romantic prospect can save both parties a lot of time and stress if they reveal things that would be eventual deal-breakers.

On the other hand, it’s hard to think of a scenario where the object of your as-yet undeclared affections would be happy to know you’re hanging out outside their apartment, or that you’ve been tailing them as they go about their day. Once feelings of attraction become that strong, as scary as the possibility of rejection may be, it’s generally best to just bite the bullet and tell your crush how you feel, before they mistake you for a crazed person who’s lying in wait outside their home because you want to throw an octopus at it.

Source: PR Times
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: SoraNews24, Pakutaso (1, 2)
[ Read in Japanese ]

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