Catfishing is when someone uses images and information (usually from other people’s social media accounts) to create a new identity online. Sometimes there are even those who use an individual’s entire identity as their own. Newly created social media accounts can then be used to tarnish the reputation of the real owner of the identity, or alternatively, fictional identities created using images and information of other people can be used to establish dishonest relationships online.
While catfishing used to be more common among adults using online dating platforms, it has now become a more common problem among adults and teens. Some broadcasters go to extreme lengths to create false identities; they have multiple social media accounts to create and verify their publishing profiles.
Name Why Catfishing?
Although catfishing has been around for almost as long as the internet, it only got its current name after the release of a documentary called “Catfishing” in 2010. Catfishing became a recognized term after the MTV series “Catfish” premiered in 2012.
Why Do People Catfish?
People choose to Catfish other people for a variety of reasons. Here are some of the reasons people become Catfishing:
Insecurities: Someone may choose to copy another person because of their own personal insecurities. They may view themselves as “ugly” or “not good enough” and may feel more comfortable using the image or identity of another person they consider “attractive enough” or “worthy”.
Mental illness: Someone suffering from certain types of mental illness may be too anxious to reveal their true or authentic self. Someone suffering from depression may have very low self-esteem and feel that they are not “good enough”. There are many different circumstances that make people feel that the only way to communicate effectively or confidently with people is to pretend to be someone else.
Request to hide their identity: Someone who wants to hide their identity while using social media can use someone else’s pictures and/or information. They may want to hide who they are in order to troll others, they may talk to people outside of an existing relationship, or in some cases they may resort to this with the intention of trying to extort money from their target.
Revenge: Some people use Catfishing as a means of getting revenge on previous partners or people they think ‘deserved’. Revenge seekers often create social media accounts that use images and information of the victim to humiliate them or tarnish their reputation. They may also use fake identities to lure the person into a fake relationship to hurt them emotionally.
Harassment: Some people create multiple catfishing accounts to maximize the emotional impact when harassing someone online. They may create several social media accounts because the recipient of the abuse has blocked the initial catfishing account, or they may do so to create the impression that there are increasing numbers of people engaging in the abuse in order to overwhelm the victim.
Discovering Sexual Preference: When someone is confused or curious about their sexuality, they may create false profiles to safely discover their curiosity without having to reveal their true identity.
Overall, though, the most common reason people copy others is a lack of trust. If people are dissatisfied with themselves, they feel they can express themselves freely by being more attractive without their insecurities getting in the way.
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