Nowadays, the term "stalking" someone is known by     practically all internet users.

You can stalk your crush, that person you don't like, or even a famous person of whom you are a fan, through the internet.
But what happens when this harmless activity crosses the boundaries of a cell phone screen?
And what happens when naive curiosity becomes an obsession, persecution, threat, and intimidation?
Well, this happened with Richard Gadd—even if in a slightly different way—the creator of the play and TV series "Baby Reindeer,"  which was inspired by real-life events and became a sensation in recent days, reaching #1 as the most watched TV show of the week on Netflix.
Today, Intercultural News will warn you about the dangers of internet obsession, tell you the story of Richard Gadd (no spoilers), and based on it, show you what to do and sometimes what not to do if you are the victim of a stalker.


Image credits: Internet Reproduction/Netflix

Baby Reindeer: A captivating story
"Baby Reindeer" is a British miniseries that follows the real-life story of Richard Gadd, who was stalked by an obsessive stalker for about 6 years.
 
The story began in 2015 and revolves around Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) while he was working in a bar in London. Donny, who was a Scottish comedian and attendant, offered a woman free tea during a conversation, but until then, he didn't know who she was.
 
As time passed and their relationship was "strengthening,"  this woman, Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning), became a maniac and began stalking him.
During this period, she showed up at Donny's work almost every day and sent gifts and thousands of emails and messages. According to Richard, he received 41,071 emails, 350 hours of voicemails, 744 tweets, 46 Facebook messages, and 106 pages of letters. She also compulsively attended his comedy shows.


Image Credits: Internet Reproduction/Netflix

The plot follows Donny's journey as he tries to understand the motivation behind his stalker's obsession and deals with the emotional and psychological ramifications of this experience. 
 
In addition to Richard Gadd as himself, the series shows other characters who have important roles in Gadd's life, including friends, family, and mental health professionals who help him get over the situation.
 
The series talks about deep themes such as obsession, paranoia, trauma, and resilience. It delves into the protagonist's mind and explores the complexities of human relationships and the human experience in the face of adversity.
 
Baby Reindeer is presented in a monologue format, with Donny speaking directly to the camera, which creates a sense of intimacy and immersion for the viewer. This unique format allows viewers to enter the protagonist's mind and understand his internal struggles more deeply.


Image Credits: Internet Reproduction/Netflix 

Suffocating, uncomfortable, and just brilliant
The entire series is shrouded in a halo that is uncomfortable to watch.
Following the development of a relationship as complicated and distorted as Donny and Martha's is disconcerting, to say the least.
 
It takes a lot of courage to talk so openly about your fears, insecurities, pains, and wounds, but Richard Gadd did a masterful job of putting himself in such a vulnerable position, to the point of scripting and interpreting his suffering.
 
Baby Reindeer captivated audiences with its frank depiction of male sexual victimization, the various faces of sexuality, stalking, and drug abuse.
 
And just like Richard, Jessica Gunning also did a great job while playing her role as Martha.
The duo exceptionally conveyed the emotions and truths of their characters. With the care Gadd took in portraying Martha as someone who also suffered and not just as a bad person, we can even sometimes understand, feel pity for, and humanize the character.
 
Baby Reindeer puts us in a delicate situation when following the main character's contradictory thoughts. The paradoxical feelings Donny has about Martha. "Is she really that bad?" to "I don't ever want to see her again," or the hatred and fear for the desire to be seen by her, the care he has for her, or the pleasure he feels when thinking about her.

It's delicate, fragile and tremendously brutal.
It's suffocating, uncomfortable and just brilliant.

I'm the victim of a stalker. What now?

Unlike what happened with Gadd, nowadays, the most common thing is the stalker attracted by the internet, especially on social media.
It can start subtly, like comments, likes, or messages in DM. And these actions may seem innocent until the obsession goes beyond the limits of the internet.
 
It is quite common for the stalker to appear at the gym, at work, or even in front of the victim's home. And it's impossible to know the level of danger they can pose, or at least you don't want to risk finding out, right?
 
So here is a list of possible concerns you can take to avoid falling victim to a stalker:
• Do not disclose data such as address, place of study, or work.
• Do not leave your phone number and/or email visible.
• If possible, make your profile private so you can manage who has access to your posts.
• In the digital age, everything is posted and shared, but try not to post things in real-time so that stalkers can't track you and intimidate you eye-to-eye.
 
But if you already have a stalker, what can you do?
• Record all possible evidence, especially that which is explicit, abusive, and threatening;
• Register a police report with the competent bodies;
• Have witnesses who can testify in your favor.
 
 
Baby Reindeer invites us to reflect on the harshness of human relationships and the complex dynamics of abusive relationships; it shows us the obsession, manipulation, emotional abuse, and struggle for survival.
It's undeniably moving and deeper than we could ever imagine, but we can try.
So if you're interested, watch the trailer below.

But if you've seen it, here it is one of Richard Gadd's videos, where he tells a little about his pain and everything that happened.

Reporter: Letícia Vieira e Diego Pimentel
Editor: Cleidyane S.Vieira