diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/UserController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/UserController.php
index a8e86d5..e8cc71a 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/UserController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/UserController.php
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ class UserController extends Controller
             abort(403);
         }
 
+        // not sure if this is optimal. Some way to do $user->with(...) ???
+        $user = User::where('id', $user->id)
+            ->with(['followers', 'following'])
+            ->firstOrFail();
+
         return view('user.show', compact('user'));
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/Models/User.php b/app/Models/User.php
index 157248b..f8f22c9 100644
--- a/app/Models/User.php
+++ b/app/Models/User.php
@@ -50,6 +50,22 @@ class User extends Authenticatable implements MustVerifyEmail
         return $this->belongsToMany(Mod::class);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The relationship between a user and users they follow
+     */
+    public function following(): BelongsToMany
+    {
+        return $this->belongsToMany(User::class, 'user_follows', 'follower_id', 'following_id');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The relationship between a user and users that follow them
+     */
+    public function followers(): BelongsToMany
+    {
+        return $this->belongsToMany(User::class, 'user_follows', 'following_id', 'follower_id');
+    }
+
     /**
      * The data that is searchable by Scout.
      */
diff --git a/database/migrations/2024_08_28_141058_user_follows.php b/database/migrations/2024_08_28_141058_user_follows.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b7fca3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2024_08_28_141058_user_follows.php
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+<?php
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    /**
+     * Run the migrations.
+     */
+    public function up(): void
+    {
+        Schema::create('user_follows', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->id();
+            $table->unsignedBigInteger('follower_id');
+            $table->unsignedBigInteger('following_id');
+            $table->foreign('follower_id')->references('id')->on('users')->cascadeOnDelete()->cascadeOnUpdate();
+            $table->foreign('following_id')->references('id')->on('users')->cascadeOnDelete()->cascadeOnUpdate();
+            $table->timestamps();
+        });
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reverse the migrations.
+     */
+    public function down(): void
+    {
+        Schema::dropIfExists('user_follows');
+    }
+};
diff --git a/database/seeders/DatabaseSeeder.php b/database/seeders/DatabaseSeeder.php
index ae97eca..04b1591 100644
--- a/database/seeders/DatabaseSeeder.php
+++ b/database/seeders/DatabaseSeeder.php
@@ -31,29 +31,48 @@ class DatabaseSeeder extends Seeder
         // Create some code licenses.
         $licenses = License::factory(10)->create();
 
-        // Add 5 administrators.
-        $administrator = UserRole::factory()->administrator()->create();
-        User::factory()->for($administrator, 'role')->create([
+        // Add administrators.
+        $administratorRole = UserRole::factory()->administrator()->create();
+        $testAccount = User::factory()->for($administratorRole, 'role')->create([
             'email' => 'test@example.com',
         ]);
 
-        $this->command->outputComponents()->info('test account created: test@example.com');
+        $this->command->outputComponents()->info("test account created: $testAccount->email");
 
-        User::factory(4)->for($administrator, 'role')->create();
+        User::factory(4)->for($administratorRole, 'role')->create();
 
-        // Add 10 moderators.
-        $moderator = UserRole::factory()->moderator()->create();
-        User::factory(5)->for($moderator, 'role')->create();
+        // Add moderators.
+        $moderatorRole = UserRole::factory()->moderator()->create();
+        User::factory(5)->for($moderatorRole, 'role')->create();
 
-        // Add 100 users.
-        $users = collect(progress(
+        // Add users
+        progress(
             label: 'adding users...',
             steps: $userCount,
             callback: fn () => User::factory()->create()
-        ));
+        );
 
-        // Add 300 mods, assigning them to the users we just created.
-        $allUsers = $users->merge([$administrator, $moderator]);
+        // get all users
+        $allUsers = User::all();
+
+        // Add user follows
+        progress(
+            label: 'adding user follows ...',
+            steps: $allUsers,
+            callback: function ($user) use ($allUsers) {
+                $hasFollowers = rand(0, 100) < 70; // 70% chance to have followers
+                $isFollowing = rand(0, 100) < 70; // 70% chance to be following other users
+
+                if ($hasFollowers) {
+                    $followers = $allUsers->random(rand(1, 10))->pluck('id')->toArray();
+                    $user->followers()->attach($followers);
+                }
+
+                if ($isFollowing) {
+                    $following = $allUsers->random(rand(1, 10))->pluck('id')->toArray();
+                    $user->following()->attach($following);
+                }
+            });
 
         $mods = collect(progress(
             label: 'adding mods...',
@@ -71,7 +90,7 @@ class DatabaseSeeder extends Seeder
             }
         );
 
-        // Add 3000 mod versions, assigning them to the mods we just created.
+        // Add mod versions, assigning them to the mods we just created.
         $modVersions = collect(progress(
             label: 'adding mods versions ...',
             steps: $modVersionCount,