Catfishing is a term used to describe a situation where a person uses a fake online profile to deceive another online user usually in a romantic context. The term originates from the 2010 documentary Catfish in which Nev Schulman questions the authenticity of a relationship he has been having online and sets out to discover the truth. The infographic below provides more information on the nature of catfishing as well as providing advice on how to avoid becoming the victim of a catfish. And in case you’re wondering why the term is referred to as catfishing, here’s the quote from the documentary in which Vince Pierce compares catfish to certain types of people:
They used to tank cod from Alaska all the way to China. They’d keep them in vats in the ship. By the time the codfish reached China, the flesh was mush and tasteless. So this guy came up with the idea that if you put these cods in these big vats, put some catfish in with them and the catfish will keep the cod agile. And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh. And I thank god for the catfish because we would be droll, boring and dull if we didn’t have somebody nipping at our fin.
Source: freedating.co.uk
