A social media expert from the University of Florida, Andrew Selepak, is sounding the alarm on a growing threat to college athletes trying to increase their Name, Image, and Likeness earnings on social media: cyberstalkers. 

The arrest of Robert Cole Parmalee this week for allegedly harassing UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers offers a sober reminder college athletes make themselves vulnerable by constantly posting about their lives on social media, including day-to-day activities beyond their respective sports. Mr. Selepak told the Sun that such creepy and potentially dangerous incidents “will most likely increase” in the future.

 “The more celebrity an athlete has, the more content there is about them, the more they’re posting, and the more people are going to be interested,” Mr. Selepak said. “That creates more content for a potentially deranged fan to consume.”

Mr. Parmalee, 40,  was charged at Rockville, Connecticut, with breach of peace, electronic stalking, and harassment. Police said he had been sending emails to UConn’s communications department since June claiming he intended to marry Ms. Bueckers.

Mr. Parmalee, who has a criminal history dating back to 2002, was served an arrest warrant at the Hartford Correctional Center and held on $100,000. UConn police said he allegedly posted “alarming” photos, videos, and comments directed toward Ms. Bueckers, her friends, and her family. Some of the posts included fake wedding invites along with a picture of diamond engagement ring.

Connecticut State Police initially arrested Mr. Parmalee on August 27 after he told police he was on his way to see Ms. Bueckers. He reportedly had an engagement ring and lingerie in his possession. The 2024 Big East Player of the Year, Ms. Bueckers, 22, has 5 million followers on social media.  According to the arrest warrant, she told police Mr. Parmalee started sending her videos on Instagram in February and she eventually became worried about her safety.

Mr. Selepak, who regularly lectures on the impact of social media and culture, told the Sun that similar harassment incidents may potentially occur again due to the volume of social media content being produced by celebrities and athletes.

“This isn’t, ‘I’m going to impress Jodie Foster by shooting the President,’” he said, referring to John Hinckley’s attempted assassination of President Reagan in 1981. “But there’s still that aspect of ‘I feel connected to this person. I want them to notice me.’  And the more celebrity an athlete has, the more they’re posting and that creates more content for a potentially deranged fan to consume.”

NIL deals often require college athletes to endorse products on social media. The larger the following, the more money they can potentially make. A gymnast at LSU with a social media following of more than 10 million, Livvy Dunne, has a NIL valuation of $4 million a year. Ms. Bueckers from Hopkins, Minnesota, ranks second among women at $1.4 million. She was the national player of the year as a freshman before spending two years recovering from a knee injury. She led the Huskies to the Final Four last year, losing to Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the national semifinal.

 “There’s a difference in the pre versus the post NIL world where athletes are being compensated to make social media posts,” Mr. Selepak said. “It’s all about what can I do to get the most engagements so they’ll want to pay me more and more brands can contact me. That just increases their overall exposure.”

It also increases the chances for what Mr. Selepak calls a “parasocial relationship” where a media user develops an illusion of intimacy and friendship with a celebrity or athlete who doesn’t know they exist.

“Social media allows you to obsess through a screen or digitally,” he said. “If I’m a stalker, I’m not just obsessing in my head, I can go look at pictures, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram videos and news stories. I can obsess through a screen at new content that’s coming at regular intervals.”

He compared that to 30 years ago when celebrities made infrequent appearances in public or in a magazine.  “The more issues a person has when it comes to obsession and stalking, social media can feed that in a way that in the past wasn’t possible,” Mr. Selepak said. “Now there’s a constant ability to consume something new every day. It’s not just internal thoughts, but it’s looking at a screen like it’s an actual person you know. The blurring of online and real life, I think is adding to that problem.”

Police indicated Mr. Parmalee has a criminal history that includes arrests for misdemeanor sexual abuse, harassment, burglary, driving under the influence, and possession of methamphetamine. He was issued a protective order and told not to assault, threaten, abuse, follow, interfere, or stalk Ms. Bueckers.