Lying is typically frowned upon. So is catfishing.
A catfish is someone who pretends to be someone else online, typically on dating apps. Essentially, they are liars. Like lying, catfishing itself is technically legal, though there is a push to change this.
Victims of catfishing report emotional distress as a result of their fake relationships. Those whose pictures are used (without consent) to aid in catfishing are also unnerved by the fact that they are indirectly helping to form a relationship with an unknown persona. Despite this, very few dating apps provide tools to defend against catfishers.
A study aimed at investigating why catfishers become catfishers found that an overwhelming amount of subjects (41%) claimed that loneliness played a role in their actions. Poor self-esteem, sexual exploration, and a desire to escape reality were also mentioned. Yes, some catfishers do have malicious intent. However, many are simply searching for a way to channel their insecurities or fantasies.
James Moor says “we are living in a period of technology that promises dramatic changes and in which it is not satisfactory to do ethics as usual.” We must reassess what we believe to be ethical in the context of the internet. Desiring attention or companionship may not be unethical, but acting on these desires by means of catfishing is.
While many catfishers lack malicious intent and are simply looking for a way to channel their energies, I still believe that the act of hiding behind an alias to create relationships is largely unethical. Even though it is technically legal to do so, it is undeniably creepy. Although I do think that anonymity is one of the greatest features the internet has to offer, there are better uses for this sort of namelessness.
While many catfishers claim simply desiring to escape from reality, there are also other fixes for this-- books, Netflix, the theater, video games, etc.
Moor also says that, in this age of emerging technology, “the subtlety of the situation may escape us at least initially, and we will find ourselves in a situation of assessing the matter as consequences unfold.” Although catfishing itself is currently legal, this may need to change as even more negativity and trauma is created from its existence.
You could demonstrate more insight by talking about what it is about catfishing that's unsettling. Are we morally disturbed because of the danger catfishing poses, because someone is claiming a false identity, or something else? Tinder also recently introduced a "panic button" feature on its app and is using AI that tracks words that may flag harassment or bullying. You could mention this too and discuss what dating app creators, like Tinder, ought to be morally responsible for.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this topic. I think catfishing is a relatively new area that is becoming much larger with emerging technology. I think it does go very well with Moors concept of emerging technologies creating new ethical problems. In general though I think you should have introduced Moor earlier in your post to make sure the reader understands his ideas before they are introduced to all the problems of catfishing. Also as the post above says I would agree that adding how much responsibility tinder should have for this problem would be an interesting addition.
ReplyDeleteThis is quite an interesting topic and I believe that in today's era of online dating (through apps like Tinder, Bumble, etc.) this is a major concern for many people. You bring up many gripping points on catfishing, most notably, however, talking about the legality of this activity. I strongly believe that this is one of the main problems with catfishing: there are little to no legal repercussions for the perpetrators. Although I know you are fairly close to the maximum word limit, I think that talking about your personal stance on possible consequences of catfishing might be beneficial, not only to make it more personal and engaging, but also as a tool to spark conversation. I'm sure many individuals might have opposing views.
ReplyDeleteI'm also quite curious as to how catfishing could be further narrowed down. I personally believe that any modifications of images, such as through the use of Photoshop, should also be categorized as catfishing, assuming that the user uses said pictures to attract potential partners. Although this is not quite as severe as posing as someone else, you are still deceiving people by modifying your appearance, whether it'd be through the use of filters or face/body enhancing apps. I think you could benefit by talking about this and how it could be implemented into the future definition of catfishing.