Creeping refers to the act of “stalking” someone on social media, usually by checking them out or following what’s going on in their lives on Facebook and other social media accounts. It’s not as creepy as it sounds. Creeping involves going through their timelines, status updates, tweets, and online bios to learn more about them.

Facebook creeping is a cultural phenomenon and a popular pastime, especially among young people. In the early days of Facebook, it was called “stalking,” but is now more commonly known as “creeping,” a word that has a milder connotation and is not associated with criminal activity, as stalking can be. It is not nearly as offensive as stalking in the real world, but it is still controversial, even though it is an increasingly common activity.

The verb "creeping" literally means to move slowly and carefully, often so as not to be noticed or discovered by others. Sometimes people say that someone "creeps down the hallway," for example, when they mean to walk on tiptoes or walk quietly.

This concept of doing something without others noticing is why watching people on Facebook is called “creeping” or “Internet creeping.” The social network’s interface allows people to watch each other without the user knowing that someone else is looking or has looked at his or her timeline or personal profile.