The ugly truth of Catfishing

Catfishing is a socially-expected word for online deception; it’s when a person is playing as another’s identity to form relationships. Catfishing frequently works under the characters of insecurity or revenge. Sharon Coen, a Senior Lecturer in Media Psychology, says that catfishing “offers an opportunity for people to try on different identities and interact with others based on that identity.” Catfishing is a new way of experimenting with one’s identity; however, many red flags come with Catfishing. It can be extremely dangerous to impersonate someone you are not; it can quickly fall under fraud and even be labelled as a con-artist. In my judgement, catfishing is wrong; lying to someone and willfully forming a fake relationship with an individual without regard for there feelings or mental state is cruel. Even though lying is not illegal outside of a courtroom, is it morally wrong. The faith of morality falls under an individual, and when a lie is affecting a person negatively, you’re doing more harm to a person when the truth is revealed.

However, I am willing to argue that a catfished person cannot solely fall victim to this situation. In the case where an induvial has become a victim of catfishing, who is there to blame? As adults who enter the dating world, it is our responsibility to be smart mentally and physically with our safety. We are taught these things not only by parental influence but also by society. Having emergency contacts on your phone while going on dates is essential while also ensuring that you are in a safe environment when meeting a stranger for the first time. In online dating, these rules apply as well. You have the make a responsible decision before making a strong connection with a stranger. For example, talking on the phone to hear each other’s voices or having a video chat before taking a relationship to the next level online ensures that the person is real. Having a truthful start is morally correct and keeps you from having a guilty conscience. Like many scams and cons on the internet, Catfishing is another way of life that we must know and be aware of as adults. Becoming a victim of catfishing only makes you a victim. We must learn from it and do anything necessary to prevent it from happening.

Reference

Purcell A. and Stroud, S. (2018). To catfish or not to catfish? Media Ethics Initiative. Retrieved from https://mediaethicsinitiative.org/2018/11/15/to-catfish-or-not-to-catfish/

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