The world of social media has quickly grown in the blink of an eye. The interesting thing is, we are pretty much blind to impact it has on us and our future.
One of the major things that technology has begun to control is dating. As social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter begin to grow and our fingers are constantly attached to our phone, we are constantly growing further away from real life relationships and focusing on how we are portrayed online. A simple filter on your face and a little exaggerated version of your bio can completely change how a person perceives you on the web.
As we begin to get sucked into the realm of technology, we slowly begin to lose ourselves without even noticing. It just seems like a small change, a filter on our face, such as Lo-Fi or Early Bird, or an adjustment to our persona. Sometimes it’s the extreme of stealing a friend’s, friend’s, friend’s, friend photo due to the fact they are a bit more attractive, and the attention just seems harmless.
Sitting there in my 500-person lecture, my phone buzzes almost off the desk, and a notification is displayed on my phone: “Congratulations! You have a new match!” Just like the rest of you, my fingers quickly put in my passcode and open the app Tinder to discover my new match. Apps such as Tinder, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, and many more have given us a blind eye to the hidden identities that are on the internet. Most of us are on there for innocent fun, hoping to find a hot date for the weekend, or a spicy hook up in the craving for rebellion, but the scary truth is there are over a million catfishes on social media. The mindset is that a simple catfish is harmless fun, that the same line repeats itself in every catfish's head: “We probably won’t even meet anyways”.
Just like everyone else, with the truth in my head, I move my finger right a few times, before I move my finger left. I’m back in class endlessly scrolling through Facebook and adding new fun filters on Instagram of pictures from the latest themed frat party. Even though the hidden face of the internet is just a finger away, I crave the endless scrolling of different apps, as my mind goes blank. As the hidden face becomes to grow as technology becomes more prevalent, my addiction grows to latch onto the next trend.
That being said, the craving for our cellphones and the addiction of our social lives online becomes intertwined with the scary truth of the hidden catfishes. So people, before giving your heart to your next Tinder match, beware of the catfishes who quickly add excitement but danger to the realm of social media.
