Modern technology has advanced at a rate that has not been seen in previous centuries, and while technological devices have made our lives easier, they have also opened up new public spaces for the development and upkeep of a wide range of relationships, from romantic to professional.
Many ideas, like honesty, envy, and selfishness, are undoubtedly as old as human history since human interactions are as old as human history.
But observing today's social interactions, we find that social media and online dating platforms play a major role in the formation and growth of the majority of our relationships. Virtuality is the primary factor that sets these connections apart from pre-21st-century relationship dynamics.
Virtual interactions, which emerged only about thirty years ago and now permeate social relationships, naturally bring with them entirely new vocabulary and entirely different dynamics: ghosting, breadcrumbing, sexting, throwing to the right, catfishing, and many more!
Although keeping up with these ideas can occasionally be challenging or confusing, understanding them and their meanings enables us to manage our relationships in a healthy way in the modern world.
This essay will concentrate on the idea of "catfishing," attempting to address issues like what exactly catfishing entails, why individuals do it, and how to recognise whether we are being catfished!
Catfishing is the practice of fabricating a virtual identity, claiming it to be one's own, and using it to build connections with strangers on dating apps or social media sites.
By creating an account on any social media or online dating site, such as Facebook or LinkedIn, these individuals construct their identities on these platforms, utilise other people's images, and fabricate a story about their lives and careers.
By appearing to be someone they are not, they can interact with people on these platforms, build friendships or sexual connections, and even make money!
Sometimes, these profiles are made by copying every aspect of a real person's life, including their hobbies and images. Depending on the desires of the person who is catfishing, their motivation for doing so, and the victim they select, it can vary.
In addition, people who alter their own images to make them appear "more attractive" or who embellish the truth about their life on social media pages can also be accused of catfishing.
Catfishing is the term used more frequently to describe this circumstance. The term "catfishing" essentially describes the idea of tricking someone into thinking a cat is a kitten.
Put differently, rather than fabricating an entirely new identity, we characterise kittenfishing as the process of a someone enhancing their inherent qualities with the intention of making them appear more appealing.