The Pros And Cons Of Catfishing

Social Media is a form of communication in which a person shares information, personal ideas, and thoughts online. The foundation of social media began in 1997 when the first social media site Six Degrees was developed. Since 1997, social media has become an iconic name and has become part of this generation's conversation. There are over 100 million people using social media to gain access to the digital world, with over 20 social media sites including Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram (Milanovic 1). Roughly 80 percent of teens and 20 percent of adults use social media daily and almost half of the users were bullied or criticized for a single comment. Comments that include discrimination, sexism, or political beliefs can be retweeted to thousands in a matter of hours. “Accusations go viral, globally, within hours, and instead of having dozens of angry voices baying for your blood, you have tens of thousands” (Haley 1). Although social media has made it easier to communicate these sites, make it easier to be critical or prejudiced to others online instead of face-to-face.

Some suggestions in regulating this issue for children coming of age can be by fining things that are considered hurtful or derogatory to any one person or thing and first sending a warning, then if the warning is not complied by shutting down their usage of social media platforms. A bit more intense than simply putting people into things like “Facebook jail” or “Twitter jail” the warning comes with a fine, that is according to how offensive the content. If the content is the only thing that the user posts, at that time but the majority of their page is not offensive, or doesn’t show that that user is planning or contemplating doing something that is harmful to others or a demographic then they just get a warning and is told to watch what they post, but the more offensive and destructive the account the bigger the fine, and possibly even actual jail

How many Facebook friends do you have, and how many of those friends have you spoken to in the past week, month, or even year? Are there any people that you follow on Instagram whom you’ve never introduced yourself to? The answers may come as a surprise. The use of social media makes it effortless to connect with friends and family. However, it also allows us to to catch a glimpse the lives of those we’re never met. Depending on how much information is shared on one’s profile, it can allow a person to determine enough about them to consider them a friend. Conversely, those people who have never met you have access to all of your information that you allow “friends” on Facebook to see. This is an alarming discovery, especially considering that the concept of “catfishing” (creating a fake profile online and pretending to be someone

With the increase in popularity of online dating and its use, there has also been an increase in mistreatment of online dating and its users. Online dating has potential for really helping people connect and making them happier. However, as with most things there are people out there that want to use things like online dating improperly in attempts to hurt people or further their own interests. This practice has become known as “catfishing” and it is becoming a real problem within the online dating community. The dangers of catfishing and its threats are prevalent and if you want to try to find happiness through online dating you must be aware of them and know how to avoid them.

On the contrary, social media is known as the utmost ways to communicate with others through precise emotional signs. The online communication takes various signals away. For example one of the signals is, over the phone, one can hear the change in a person’s tone, or the ominous/menacing pause that sends a message for one to back off. But, the jokes and snide comments aren’t the only problem, there is also a hostile behavior. An incident, was when Devon, a thirteen year old, asserted that a friend would claim that she spread out rumors about him. Devon even claimed that the boy is a quiet adolescent, but throughout the posts he would express himself by capitalize letters and punctuated by endless exclamation marks, the young teenager claimed she felt as in her friend was screaming in her face. Sometimes kids act differently on behind the screen meaning when being on a social website such as Facebook because they feel more secure to behave like that on a computer and not in person. One feels the powerful behind the computer screen and do not realize the actions they make towards the other

In most cases there is no repercussions for catfishers and that’s why the problem is still continuing to grow. This issue has made people wary and untrustworthy of who they are really talking to. A recent study showed that 54% of online daters believe someone has put false information in their profile (D’Costa). If someone does fall for the fake profile it can cause emotional damage to the person after finding out that it isn’t real. There are many stories involving people falling for these fake profiles, including the high profile case involving Manti Te’o who played football for the University of Norte Dame. He was involved with a girl who he believed to be real, until he got a call saying she had died. After receiving the news, he made a

Meta: Learn if the person you've been talking to on social media is really who they claim to be. Don't let yourself be duped by catfishing. Hire an investigator to help.

This article was very explanatory to the point of repetitive, Her view points on teenagers , communications including global communications are things I can personally concur with. The main points of her argumentative essay was that the government and companies (Facebook) do not cover the expanding and growing techonological advances when it comes to social media. Although the U.S does little to nothing to help the situation; and Nordic counils taking steps, there is still a lot to be done, for example protecting minors. There are a plethora of accounts that are run by minors , infact they take a large majority, yet there is no defense for them in their online communities. Generations like mine have learnt social medias ‘dos and donts’ , we know better than our younger sibillings on this matter, we know how not to share personal pictures of ourselves and respect others online. There needs to be a plan of action to help our younger generations from making the same mistakes we made and the government neither the companies do much about it. This article is crucial for others to learn more about how oversharing of personal information can negatively affect

Imagine if you were just minding your own business online and then someone that you don’t know starts to say things about you that are mean. This crisis is happening all over the world with teens ages 11-18. This is even forcing teens off of the internet due to these mean comments people are putting out there. Some think that it is not a big deal and nothing should be done to fix this, but people who do it should be persecuted.

As an adolescent I am guilty of following the trend that restricts and confines my identity. Users have to be extremely cautious when posting or commenting online, for the fear of being judged. The societal expectations of teenagers to fit in has the power to influence and change their attitude towards life. Social media has the ability to corrupt someone's judgment that pressures them to follow the crowd therefore, we do not control social media, it controls us.

The web is similar to a battle area, you may endure alive, or you may fall and break into pieces. Children and youthful grown-ups that have entry to the web make them helpless against practically anything and anybody. Obviously nobody is great. Our general public characterizes "immaculate" as having a considerable measure of companions, being really, wearing pleasant dress, and so on. The web and online networking makes pathways that lead the harassers to the exploited people. Kids that regularly have a considerable measure of insecurities are tens times more powerless against individuals' impolite comments and judgments behind the screen. Subsequently, making digital harassing. violent dangers, inconsiderate remarks, psychological

As technology surrounding the internet has grown there has a been a new movement to connect the world. Specifically, teens have become more inclined to socialize and connect with friends, family, and strangers through the internet. Teenagers are known for being vulnerable, naïve, having a vast desire to find acceptance with their peers or society and are obsessed with love. With the connection of the internet, social media, and teen it has created completely new moral panic; catfishing. According to, to Merriam-Webster catfishing is defined as an individual who creates a fake profile on a social networking site to deceive or manipulate others ("Catfish"). Primarily, those who catfish use their fake profiles to gain romantic relationships with other social network users. Teens began creating fake profiles through their instinct of wanting to fit in but, this led to teens catfishing to fulfill their dreams of finding acceptance. Catfishing is an internet moral panic because it is considered a social terror. The act of catfishing became a way for some teens to find acceptance but, parents feel that teens are not safe on social networking sites such as; Facebook because these deceptions can cause teens emotional and mental harm. Those constructing the moral panic continually scapegoated social network sites for the creation of catfishing and its side effects but, the true root cause of catfishing is teen’s inherent behavior.

Facebook, twitter and instagram are all methods used to share your life with others. You’re able to post pictures and type statuses to inform your friends, followers, etc., what you have been up to and how you have been living your life. Adults usually post pictures and statuses focusing on their family, trips and special events in their lives, while the younger generation takes social media a lot more serious. Every moment of their lives are put out there for the world to see, sometimes without the realization. Teenagers on social media are always trying to impress and one up each other. They sometimes post inappropriate material to try to look as cool as possible without realizing that ultimately employers, teachers, parents, law enforcement and strangers all have the ability to see. The problem is once something is on the internet it is there forever, and if caught you can find yourself in major trouble.

Technology has had so many advances in the past decade. People are constantly using the internet for numerous things. Every person uses the internet and technology at least once in their lifetime. Since technology is constantly growing and advancing people find themselves using it more and more for everyday life. Now, adults are usually the ones using the internet, but young kids have found themselves using it more frequently as well. Whether it be a child who is using a phone for games, or a teenager who is using a phone for social media, the internet is always being used. Young kids also find themselves using the internet for several things including social media or texting. With young people using social media there can be a positive side, a negative side, and even changes in ones mind. Young people feed into social media and with this comes cyberbullying, insecurities, distraction, and no privacy.

For the past decade or so there has been a considerable shift in the way we communicate with each other; instead of speaking face-to-face, we prefer to stay in touch by way of a Facebook post or Tweet. Social media dominates our life whether we’re using it, or not. However, not all online dissonance has been healthy and civil. The internet has seen a rise in the number of trolls and predators that lurk the dark corners of the Internet. Threats, and heinous insults flood media networks like Reddit and Snapchat. Online predators who fling insults are enamored by the internet’s alluring anonymity and can’t give it up. Like Christine Rosen says in her article called, “In the Beginning Was the Word,” “technology has introduced new words, changed the meaning of others, and has even introduced new forms of language and communication” (230). The evolutionary trend and prevalence of people intentionally offending others online has led to a