We’re all catfish
Sarah Doan | Fulcrum Contributor
Illustration by Megan McArdle
ABOUT TEN. THAT’S roughly how many people I’ve been talking to online for the six months or so. Of these people, I think it would be safe to assume I’m friends with two of them.
“I think” being the key phrase here.
As much as I would like some reassurance that our friendship isn’t a hoax, I’m probably never going to get it. Even if I did, it still wouldn’t be enough to rid me of my constant doubt. Why? Because it’s so much easier to lie over the Internet than it is in real life. Plus, given the huge distance between me and my online friends (the closest of them lives in Vancouver), the chances of us being able to meet in person are slim—so I’m pretty much living on faith here.
Over the months I’ve gotten to know these people, I’ve shared secrets I probably would have never been able to tell some of my real-life friends for fear of harsh judgement. Catfish – Megan McArdlepdf
I don’t. And that’s the harsh reality of it all—the constant suspicion of not knowing whether I’m talking to the real person inside or a mask created by a figment of their imagination. I’m not quite in a position to criticize, though—in a way, I am also one of these people. In a way, most of us are. So cat’s in the tank, people: we’re all catfish.
Don’t believe me? Take Facebook as an example. If you have any family members as Facebook friends, chances are you probably try to hide things from them that might spark any interrogation or gossip. That late-night party you went to? What party? The stupid things you did that other day? Never happened. The people you met up with even though you told your parents you were going somewhere else? You have no idea what they’re talking about.
I’m not saying everybody changes into a completely different person when they enter the virtual universe. There’s a good chance that 22-year-old you’re talking to is in fact 22 and not a middle-aged serial killer. I do believe there are some people out there who really are who they make themselves out to be on the Internet.
I say some because the temptation to make ourselves look better on the Internet is always there. If you’ve ever represented yourself untruthfully online, no matter how small of a white lie it might have been, chances are the person you’re talking to has too. So keep that in mind before you tell your life story or spill your heart to someone over the Internet—you might just be talking to a catfish.
