Persuasive Essay About Being Catfished

In today’s culture, social media and other online chat sites allow people to hold a conversation without ever meeting in person. Although this is a fast and easy way to meet people, several teenagers and young adults are being lied to. People have started making fake profiles in order to appeal to a people that they would not talk to face to face. This trend is now being referred to as being “catfished.” People who make fake profiles online should stop hiding behind the screen and should start making personal connections with people rather than online connections with individuals. New technology has led to people meeting and interacting on a screen rather than in person. According to Ellen McCarthy in her article, “What is catfishing? A brief (and sordid) history” in The Washington Post, states that, “this phenomenon known as catfishing is a unique modern one: a single lie, enabled by the cloak of technology, that stretches, morphs and

In the article, “How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of a ‘Catfish’,” on The Huffington Post, Jonathan Rajewski states several ways to avoid being catfished. He states that a person should think of an online relationship the same as a real-life relationship. He asks the question, “if you were approached at the store by a complete stranger, would you start a meaningful relationship with them?” (Rajewski, 2013, para. 7). In other words, get to know a certain individual before diving right into an intimate relationship with them. Rajewski also explains that keeping private information offline is another way to prevent being catfished. A person will need to know as much as possible in order to victimize another person online (2013). Keeping private information offline and only friending people that are familiar faces are both good methods to stay away from trouble