Catfishing

Full Title or Meme

Using a Pseudonym to create a virtual Identity on the web. Often used pejoratively.

Context

While the term Catfishing is of recent vintage, the process of pretending to be someone you are not is as old as records are kept of human history. Jacob pretended to be his Brother Esau to cheat him out of his father's blessing.

Problem

While the use of Pseudonyms is encouraged to help you protect your privacy, it can easily grow into Catfishing if the pseudonym is reified into a life of its own.

References

• Catfishing, the hidden History. Virginia Heffernan, Wired 2021-04 p, 8ff
• In Our Sims, Ourselves, Saira Mueller, Wired 2021-04 p 20-21 has a different take. Her Sim was a way for her to explore an alternate, Virtual Realty, and perhaps find herself.