AS we delve into the world of digital romance, we can see the expansion and evolution of online communities, all in search of the assurances of love and companionship.
The proliferation of online dating platforms such as Tinder and Grindr also contributes to this advancement and emergence in online dating.
With Tinder and Grindr’s popularity, numerous other dating applications, including Happn and Bumble, have also emerged, encouraging social media users to explore additional avenues for dating.
A significant drawback among these dating applications is the widespread practice of “catfishing”, wherein individuals with malicious intent fabricate accounts to deceive and mislead gullible users.
Previous studies have indicated that individuals often falsify details such as age, height and weight across various online dating services to enhance their profiles.
Catfishing represents a sinister dimension of online deceit, characterized by profile plagiarism. In this deceptive practice, an individual adopts the online identity of another person and portrays it as their own on social media.
When we examine the motives behind these duplicitous acts, it is evident that a complex interplay of psychological factors compels individuals to engage in catfishing.
A key aspect of catfishing is the desire to be an idealized persona – a false persona constructed to lure possible victims. This stems from individuals seeking societal acceptance and validation while fearing judgment and scrutiny.
The feeling of being pressured and the reluctance to reveal their true identity and details provoke these online impostors to fabricate stories and use faux pas images on their dating profiles.
Another paramount element that comes to light when talking about psychological factors is the intense yearning for emotional fulfilment and companionship, exacerbated by an extreme sense of loneliness.
However, due to their self-doubt, lack of confidence and overwhelming insecurities, these individuals turn into deceivers as they spin intricately woven sagas that attack the distinctive needs and susceptibilities of their plausible targets.
Facing the fear of rejection and dismissal also incites them to deviate from societal norms, leading to the creation of deceptive profiles.
Additionally, these virtual chameleons also feel the need to assert control over others through manipulation as they experience an upsurge in confidence and a sense of validation when they can obtain the desired responses from their victims.
They deploy their strategy by emotionally manipulating their victims by feigning emotional distress, vulnerability or crises to elicit a desired response.
Looking at the intricate motives of catfisher perpetrators, it is also crucial to direct our attention towards the impacts of these chicaneries on the victims.
As these unsuspected victims unravel the truth, they find themselves entangled in a web of lies, grappling with a myriad of emotions.
Among the overwhelming feelings of catfish victims is betrayal. This arises because the relationship or connection with the deceiver was built upon a foundation of falsehood.
The trust established between the victims and the perpetrator is shattered, plunging them into distress and paranoia. Consequently, the victims tend to isolate themselves and withdraw from any further interactions.
As these victims navigate their way through the aftermath of this deception, they experience skepticism and severe trust issues. They grow cautious in their online connections and interactions, exhibiting hesitancy in engaging with other users, be it in platonic or romantic contexts, due to a lingering fear of experiencing deception once more.
To sum up, in this era of virtual dating, the ubiquity of digital matchmaking applications and platforms has made it easier for adolescents to connect romantically through a virtual canvas.
While it has revolutionized the paradigm of present-day connections, it is crucial for tech-savvy individuals to recognize that it comes with drawbacks.
Those who are not vigilant about virtual chameleons can find themselves ensnared in a web of lies.
Thus, individuals need to implement measures to safeguard themselves, and the most pivotal among these is to verify the identity of the person they are engaging with online, especially in the context of romantic connections. This verification can be conducted through video calls or even face-to-face meetings.
Catfishers usually steer clear of face-to-face meetings. To avoid falling victim to their schemes, individuals must engage in critical thinking, exercising skepticism and caution about the information they disclose. If there appears to be inconsistencies in their spin such or something too good to be true, it is a potential sign of catfishing.
Utilizing reverse image search tools can also be useful for individuals seeking to ascertain the origin of pictures used in setting up a dating profile.
We need to be always well-informed, observant and wary when navigating the virtual realm of online romance. By staying well-informed and prioritizing security, individuals can reduce the risk of succumbing to the cunning methods employed by virtual deceivers.
The writer is a Bachelor of Health, Industry and Technology student at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
