Nelleseguire

Nelleseguire is a contemporary neologism used in Italian-language online discourse to describe the deliberate choice not to follow another user on social media, or more broadly the practice of withholding reciprocal attention in online networks. The term is used mainly in discussions of digital etiquette, online communities, and the economics of attention.

The word appears to be a coined compound built from the verb seguire (to follow) with a prefix-like element such as ne- or nelle-, giving a sense of negation or reversal. The exact morphological origin is uncertain, and it is treated more as a rhetorical coinage than a standard inflected form. It is not widely recognized by major dictionaries, and there is little consensus on pronunciation or spelling variations.

In practical usage, nelleseguire is typically employed to label a stance or policy on social networks, e.g., describing a user who does not follow back, or a platform policy encouraging users to curate followed accounts. It has appeared in blogs, social-media glossaries, and discussions about reciprocity and privacy, but remains niche and informal. Critics argue that it is obscure and can hinder clear communication across communities, especially for readers outside the niche where the term originated.

See also concepts related to social media behavior, such as unfollow, follow-back etiquette, and the broader discourse on the attention economy and online reciprocity.