Catfish: Luring someone into a relationship by adopting a fictional online persona (Oxford Dictionary)
Some articles on the internet categorise small lies about physical appearance etc as catfishing, but realistically this is something which many people do when meeting someone new even when meeting someone face to face. Sometimes we pretend to like things we don’t when we first meet someone just to pose a better image. The issue that concerns me is when people go out of their way and create a whole new being and an entire plot to make a fictional person. This shows that the person has gone out of their way and spent a lot of time plotting this fictional character. And I am curious as to why people would go to this extent of manipulation. Also why are the people who are being tricked not questioning why the person doesn’t want to have a video-call or meet up?
Dr. Leder explores both sides of the coin. First we look at the victim; as discussed by Dr.Leder and also by Nev Schulman (producer of the documentary ‘Catfish’) the person in some way or another subconsciously knows there is something wrong about the relationship, however they do not want to be disappointed and want to avoid being hurt. They want to keep the fantasy of having found the ‘perfect relationship’ alive so they go to great lengths to not look into why they have never met their friend or partner. Sherry Turkle continuously mentions this in her TED talk (Connected, but not alone), she talks about how people are so lonely that the minute they find themselves alone they get anxious and turn to technology. And this might be why people let themselves get 'catfished'; they would rather have someone to talk to.
Dr. Leder explores both sides of the coin. First we look at the victim; as discussed by Dr.Leder and also by Nev Schulman (producer of the documentary ‘Catfish’) the person in some way or another subconsciously knows there is something wrong about the relationship, however they do not want to be disappointed and want to avoid being hurt. They want to keep the fantasy of having found the ‘perfect relationship’ alive so they go to great lengths to not look into why they have never met their friend or partner. Sherry Turkle continuously mentions this in her TED talk (Connected, but not alone), she talks about how people are so lonely that the minute they find themselves alone they get anxious and turn to technology. And this might be why people let themselves get 'catfished'; they would rather have someone to talk to.
On the other hand we have the transgressor, Dr.Leder refers to them as showing narcissistic characteristics. What they are doing is either done as a form of amusement or to frustrate the victim. In this article Molly McHugh explores the reasons behind someone being a transgressor which are mentioned below:
Obviously each catfish is different and can sometimes fall into various categories and each person creates a different scenario and some people can also be very wise with the fictional person they create to make it seem extremely realistic.
It is sad that people find the need to perform such actions online, especially when this could hurt people on a very deep and emotional level. While there are many good things and also relationships which come from online connections, people who experience catfishing must end up suffering from various trust issues which can hinder them from trusting future partners, and any connections they may make online.
We need to always be fully aware and more questionable when we are online, and for once use our minds over our hearts. If someone doesn’t show themselves to you after even just a few months, you may need to start doubting the situation. Although catfishing is a big issue, this is not to say that no good relationships can come from chatting to people online!
Also, while looking up this topic, I found a very interesting video of a girl who has been going through a catfish experience which I thought you might want to watch, you can find it by clicking here.
- The Revenge Catfish: This person is pathologically creating an online romance to get back to the victim.
- The Bored Catfish: This is usually someone who has nothing else to do and finds messing with people amusing. The victim chosen may be someone they personally know or just someone random.
- The Secretly-in-love-with-you Catfish: This catfish has a crush on the victim, however they do not think their real appearance/personality is adequate enough so they create a fake identity.
- The Scary Catfish: One who wants to cause chaos and hurt people
- The Lonely Catfish: This catfish just wants someone to talk to, they give the victim a lot of time and attention due to the fact that they are lonely.
Obviously each catfish is different and can sometimes fall into various categories and each person creates a different scenario and some people can also be very wise with the fictional person they create to make it seem extremely realistic.
It is sad that people find the need to perform such actions online, especially when this could hurt people on a very deep and emotional level. While there are many good things and also relationships which come from online connections, people who experience catfishing must end up suffering from various trust issues which can hinder them from trusting future partners, and any connections they may make online.
We need to always be fully aware and more questionable when we are online, and for once use our minds over our hearts. If someone doesn’t show themselves to you after even just a few months, you may need to start doubting the situation. Although catfishing is a big issue, this is not to say that no good relationships can come from chatting to people online!
Also, while looking up this topic, I found a very interesting video of a girl who has been going through a catfish experience which I thought you might want to watch, you can find it by clicking here.
References and Sources Used:
HORN, L., 2014. The Psychology of Catfishing, From Its First Public Victim.
http://gizmodo.com/the-psychology-of-catfishing-from-its-most-public-vict-1629558216
LEDER, S., 2013. Catfish: A Cautionary Tale. http://www.scienceofrelationships.com/home/2013/3/13/catfish-a-cautionary-tale-too-bad-it-came-too-late-for-manti.html
MCHUGH, M., 2013. It's Catfishing Season! How to Tell Lovers from Liars Online, and More. http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/its-catfishing-season-how-to-tell-lovers-from-liars-online-and-more/
TURKLE, S., 2013. Connected, But Alone? http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together?language=en
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/catfish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_7G1Mi4LHw