Back then if a man or woman spotted their potential partner, they would try and woo them with flirting, buying their interest a drink, or some cheesy some chat up line to make them laugh. You could say that behavior still exists today, It can also be said that the millennial generation and some of our predecessors are now finding their potential partners online.
Yes, internet dating has now surged in popularity since its birth many moons ago. According to the Irish Mirror “1 in every 10 people Irish people in Ireland have a tinder account".
But with every good idea created, there’s always a select few that will gladly rain on your parade.
With online dating,we are always led to believe that the person we are talking to are themselves, and that they are truthful and honest with us, But in reality, this is not always the case.
I mean, you can't love your six pack that much, that it's the only image on your profile. *alarm bells anyone*.
What is catfishing or a catfish?
Let me introduce you to the concept of Catfishing. A Catfish is defined by urban dictionary as “someone who pretends to be someone they're not using Facebook or other social media to create false identities, particularly to pursue deceptive online romances".
So when you meet that special someone online who becomes your romantic interest, and you willfully enter into a relationship with them,your officially an item right ? Technically yes, but only online.
The warning sign that many of us ignore is that fact that you never actually have met this person, and when the time finally comes to meet (after plenty of hesitation on their part), they turn out to be someone completely different.(que the sound of shattered dreams) This outrageous phenomenon is catfishing and unfortunately since the creation of Facebook and dating websites this trend is on the rise.
99.9 % of our current millennial's were raised on online safety lectures, yet we still fall so easily to becoming victim of this deception. Especially when one becomes serious about their catfish.Why is this done I hear you ask, well some do it for attention and others catfish for fun, a twisted sense of humour you could say.
It’s important to note, that nowadays anyone can set up a Facebook page and copy images from another users profile and then create their own . It has become so easy to become a catfish that many people do it, some with low self-esteems use this catfishing as way to be themselves behind the mask of another person’s face. To the catfisher this maybe a genuine reason why-they do it, but its still deception and just plain wrong
Social media has become a hot bed for this deception, while others genuinely use this service to find love, others may choose to use an official dating website, this can help reduce your chances of becoming a catfish target.Although there are many dating services out there, not many are free like Facebook, so for the low income singleton, Facebook would be the place to start their search for a partner.
How do we overcome this Catfish Phenomenon?
It can be said that our generation, hide behind our social media accounts, only showing the best of who were are to everyone else, (You can say this is also how we act in the early stages of a relationship) but adopting the methods of the generation before us,of using face to face contact is still an effective way of scoping out the real from the fake and finding someone compatible for ourselves.
You could also use both approaches, by meeting someone face to face then getting to know them through Facebook, a guaranteed way to know that your romantic interest is in fact who they say they are.
The world is changing daily, our relationship and lifestyle dynamic is changing rapidly. The only thing you can do to keep ahead of the game is to think savvy, live your life on and off the social media train, enjoy the fruits of technology but also level your life with the real world outside the 20 inch monitor staring back at you.
So friends I will leave you with a simple quote to which I hope will help in your future romantic and social media endeavor's “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is”
Until Next Time Friends,
Stay Savvy, Stay Ahead,
Stay Social Media Minded.
Sources:
Online dating sstatistics from The Irish Mirror posted 21 May 2015 http://www.irishmirror.ie/lifestyle/sex-relationships/new-stats-reveal-one-10-5737754
Catfish definition : http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=catfish
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