Orbiting
what it means
They won't reply to your messages but they've viewed every story. The behaviour is uniquely modern — it requires platforms that show you who's watching.
Ending contact with someone but continuing to watch and react to their social media.
the origin story
Named in a 2018 article describing the behaviour, which social media features had made both possible and visible.
Story view lists are what made it a nameable phenomenon: without them, someone quietly following your life would be invisible. It's one of the clearest cases of a platform feature creating a social behaviour and a word for it simultaneously.
in the wild
He hasn't messaged in two months but watches every story.
He's orbiting.
Why would you do that?
Keeping the door open without opening it.
how to use it
- Describing post-breakup social media watching
- Dating conversations
- Discussing platform features and behaviour
- About people who simply haven't unfollowed
- Professionally
- As a basis for confronting someone without more evidence
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
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