Follower, a new app from Brooklyn-based digital artist Lauren McCarthy, offers users the chance to be watched for a day.

Apps that offer on-demand services have grown in popularity of late. Start-ups like Operater, Lugg and Laundrap are able to offer consumers anything from haulage to housework, after a few simple taps.

Now, thanks to Brooklyn based digital artist Lauren McCarthy, you can request your very own personal stalker, through her new app Follower, which launched in January. McCarthy herself will shadow you from a distance, living in your subconscious, and providing proof of her withdrawn presence by way of a photograph, taken at some point during the day.

Beyond a nagging feeling that Follower is a combination of artistic exploration, creepiness and spoofery, there is a rational point to be made that being followed can bring significance to the mundanity our day to day lives, while issuing an infinitely more powerful dopamine kick than that provided by a new Instagram follower.

When we think about our interactions online, it seems we are always craving attention, likes, affirmation of our existence…even with hundreds or thousands of followers, we still feel this lacking sometimes – Lauren McCarthy

As McCarthy’s intentions are benevolent, Follower has the added effect of creating an intimate, if somewhat anonymous connection between two individuals. Something some people lack due to social isolation. Users have reported feeling a sense of comfort during the period of time that they’re followed.

Whether or not apps or services similar to Follower will increase remains to be seen, but Lauren McCarthy herself feels as if a future in which we request real life followers is entirely feasible.