Is it normal to "catfish" someone?

Every so often you see a post that makes you realised how fucked up the world has become. This is one of those. I know people are shitty and do things like make up fake cancer remedies for patients who are terminal and desperate, trading on the fact that they'll be dead soon and won't sue for fraud.

This is of that ilk. Apart from avoiding death, falling in love is probably the most important concern in life. Playing with someone's feelings this way goes beyond distateful. It's thoroughly disturbing. Do we no longer have any grasp of the fact that other people have feelings? People are not just painted avatars for your personal entertainment.

This fucking world. Honestly.

I love that show and movie.

I think it's very normal. Some people are lonely, some people (like that girl who pretended to be a dude) are too afraid to go out there and face reality and some people get caught up in a lie (like youve seen with the black guy). They don't think anyone will love them or even give them a chance because of their appearance and/or their personality. The story with the big guy who reached around 600 pounds is a good example. Does anyone think he could find someone to even give him a chance? Let's be real. If I were him I would have been afraid to meet the person of my dreams in fear that he would be disgusted with me. It's a legitimate fear and a sad one.

I watch that TV show. I've catfished people before. For personal issues. Right now I'm actually living a double life. One online and the other as totally myself. I think it's rather a self-esteem issue. I've also been catfished before.

I admit its wrong. And I find it to be a mental thing. What people have to know is that it's not all a lie. Just a fake picture with a real personality.

I started doing it at 11. And I guess it stuck. Even though people tell me I'm very attractive. And there's no point for me to do that. It's like a sickness to be honest.

Sounds cruel and sadistic to me

I heard of the film, but I never saw it.

I don't think it's normal. It's a cruel thing to do the person whose fallen for the character you created.

I did this once accidentally to someone... You see, I was doing a lot of writing at the time and I was trying to build up this one character. So I made him a profile and online journal type thing, and began writing in it as the character. It helped me get into the details of daily life and how he had come to be where he was, as well as where he was going in life. It was view-able to the public if should anyone chance upon it for the read. And this one person read it and began emailing me. I responded as if I were that person and it was a terrific writing exercise. I was never seductive or sexual but this person fell in love with the character (this went on for over a month, at least). This person wanted to fly out and meet the character! It was insane. I have to say, I felt really bad when I realized she had fallen for this character and my little writing exercise was going to probably cause her a great deal of pain.

...are you Dylan Toback?

I've never catfished because it's cruel, both to the catfished and the catfisher. The former because of the fraud and the latter because he/she realises that a better looking pic attracts so much more positive attention than their regular pic which can lead to self-esteem issues. I've never been catfished either because I'm not gullible and to me anything that looks too good to be true is assumed false. No webcam = hairy dude trying to scam me.

I played a game called runescape, I acted as a 22 year old hot chick artist. Over 10 or so guys fell in love with this made up persona and 2 even went on skype and masturbated for me. I got a real kick out of being this "Laura May" girl that I used to tend to forget who I actually was, but not anymore, quit runescape.

i think you went through something so traumatic that you like to hurt innocent people. "innocent" in the sense that they dont know whats really ahppening. im sorry, but this is horrible

Hmm, I haven't really done it on purpose, but people always assume i am a guy on the internet and i've stopped correcting them cos honestly i prefer to be perceived that way, but not by intentional deceit. some girls from online games have been attracted to me because of my avatars/personality but not by a fake photo, although i have thought of it - not someone else, but well, me dressed as a boy, i enjoy transvestism, but i wouldnt take it that far, because i feel bad and don't want to play with emotions. I never lie, they just assume. I don't often fall in love with anyone from the internet because of that reason, you never know if they are really who they say. I haven't seen the show but it seems interesting.

If you're not sure of yourself, or you don't like your self image, go fix it! I'm not trying to hate or anything, it's just.. There's nothing you can't change. Mold the world the way you want it to be, then everything can be as amazing as you want it to be.

I've never heard about it, but it seems interesting. About the online fake personality, I think a lot of people tend to lie or at least hide some facts about themselves online.
As for me, I don't get too personal with people that I meet online, and if I did,I don't give a lot of personal information about myself and obviously I don't send pictures as well. I also avoid lying cause keeping up with your lies is a pain.

Great show. And I said normal because it does happen and probably to a lot more people than like to admit it. It is wrong, but relatively common, given the anonymity of the internet. I've been catfished and it sucks!

Many of the people who fall for this seem to have serious problems as well, don't you think?

No, I've never done it, and I did chat and phone with someone in 1999, we actually mailed each other pictures because back then nobody really had scanners. We met in person one day and he was exactly who he said he was and so was I. Nothing came of it in the end but the experience was good.

Could be cruel. It all depends on intent I guess.