Online Dating - Catfishing Edition

Catfishing refers to an action performed by someone who utilizes another person’s online identity to seek out friends or love interests. A few reasons someone may be more inclined to use a false online identity include but are not limited to: low self esteem, depression or anxiety, seek revenge, explore their sexuality, and to seek out revenge or harassment. [1] The idea of catfishing has long been a part of society but it did not get it’s name until 2010 when Nev Schulman released a film about his journey meeting a woman he was chatting with online and then discovering that she was not the person she identified herself as From then on, many people seemed to identify with the film because they had similar stories which caused Nev to create a TV Show to share those stories.

Catfishing affects people in certain communities more than others whether that be in relation to race, gender, or sexual orientation. Catfishing is also done by certain communities more than others. As stated previously, many people utilize online profiles to impersonate and at times, deceive others. However, impersonation can be utilized for certain employment purposes that require it.

References

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