following

Following refers to the act of subscribing to updates from another person, account, or entity, typically on social media platforms, news apps, or content services. When a user follows someone, they opt to see that person’s future posts and activities in their feed, often without requiring reciprocal approval. The relationship is usually asymmetric: a follower monitors content produced by the followed user, who may have control over the audience via privacy settings. Public profiles allow anyone to follow, while private profiles require approval. Metrics such as follower counts and engagement rates are commonly used to assess reach, influence, or popularity, and algorithms may prioritize content from followed accounts in feeds, recommendations, and notifications.

In addition to online contexts, following can refer to act of adhering to a plan, instruction, or sequence. To follow instructions means to perform the steps as laid out; following a path indicates moving along a pre-determined route. In political, religious, or social contexts, a follower is a person who adheres to a leader, movement, or ideology.

The concept raises concerns about privacy, consent, and manipulation; users can unfollow or mute accounts to reduce information flow, and platform policies may address bots, spam, and harassment. Following also intersects with data-driven personalization, advertising, and influencer economies, where individuals or brands grow audiences by producing consistent content for adherents.