Sadfishing is a term used to describe a behavioural trend where people make exaggerated claims about their emotional problems to generate

sympathy Sympathy is the perception of, understanding of, and reaction to the distress or need of another life form. According to David Hume, this sympathetic concern is driven by a switch in viewpoint from a personal perspective to the perspective of an ...

. The name is a play on "

catfishing Catfishing is a deceptive activity in which a person creates a fictional persona or fake identity on a social networking service, usually targeting a specific victim. The practice may be used for financial gain, to compromise a victim in so ...

." Sadfishing is a common reaction for someone going through a hard time, or pretending to be going through a hard time. Sadfishing is said to hurt younger people, exposing them to bullying and

child grooming Child grooming is befriending and establishing an emotional connection with a minor under the age of consent, and sometimes the child's family, to lower the child's inhibitions with the objective of sexual abuse. Child grooming is also regularly ...

. This is due to people sharing their personal and emotional stories online, often getting them targeted. Another consequence of this behaviour is that people with "real problems" end up being overlooked or even accused of sadfishing themselves and being bullied for it. Young people who seek support online have started being accused of sadfishing, a report has said. The report says that the accusations of sadfishing could further harm young people with mental health problems. Sadfishing is related to

cyberbullying Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. Cyberbullying and cyberharassment are also known as online bullying. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers, as the digital ...

, and is often looked upon as a method of

attention seeking Attention seeking behavior is to act in a way that is likely to elicit attention. Attention seeking behavior is defined in the DSM-5 as "engaging in behavior designed to attract notice and to make oneself the focus of others’ attention and admir ...

. Sadfishing has been said to attract bullies and paedophiles.

Background

The first known usage of the word ''sadfishing'' was in January 2019, in an article for the

Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urb ...

, written by Rebecca Reid in reference to Kendall Jenner's Instagram posts about her

acne Acne, also known as ''acne vulgaris'', is a long-term skin condition that occurs when dead skin cells and oil from the skin clog hair follicles. Typical features of the condition include blackheads or whiteheads, pimples, oily skin, and ...

problems, posting pictures of herself while talking about it. The term was later picked up by '' Good Morning Britain'', where they did an interview and talked about it. It started trending on social media at the start of October 2019, with several news channels and newspapers picking it up.

Potential causes

Sadfishing can be caused by many things, the main reason being that someone doesn't get enough attention, and/or has low

self-respect Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth or abilities. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Smith and Mackie (2007) d ...

. This is proven by the fact that people sadfishing are looking for compliments: very close to

narcissistic Narcissism is a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive interest in one's physical appearance or image and an excessive preoccupation with one's own needs, often at the expense of others. Narcissism exists on a co ...

behaviour, but with desire for compliments from other people for self-satisfaction. Sometimes adults partake in sadfishing because of

jealousy Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgus ...

. When someone finds themselves threatened by another person who takes all the attention, they may respond with sadfishing behaviour.

Loneliness Loneliness is an unpleasant emotional response to perceived isolation. Loneliness is also described as social paina psychological mechanism which motivates individuals to seek social connections. It is often associated with a perceived lack ...

can result in sadfishing as well; by posting about their emotional problems, people tend to crave attention. Posts about

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

and depression are really common while sadfishing, as people tend to show care and give attention to the one sadfishing. Another reason for sadfishing can be that someone feels uncomfortable sharing feelings with their close friends or family, and as a result they turn to social media to share feelings for sympathy and attention.

Anti-social behaviour Antisocial behavior is a behavior that is defined as the violation of the rights of others by committing crime, such as stealing and physical attack in addition to other behaviors such as lying and manipulation. It is considered to be disrupti ...

can lead to sadfishing as well: if someone has no friends and no one to talk to, they often end up sharing it online. Another reason for sadfishing can be

trolling In slang, a troll is a person who posts or makes inflammatory, insincere, digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages online (such as in social media, a newsgroup, a forum, a chat room, a online video game), or in real life, with the i ...

; people will troll and see if they can hook an audience onto themselves. Sadfishing can also be because of actually wanting help; people tend to sadfish in order to feel better, after letting people know that they need help.

Separating sadfishing from crisis

It can be difficult to tell if a person is looking for support, sympathy, or if the person is at risk for harming themselves. This is due to the fact that

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

often lacks context and the ability to read nonverbal cues, says Dr. Lindsey Giller, a clinical psychologist in New York. People at risk for suicide will show other signs in addition to talking about suicide; such as a deepening depression, expression of feeling trapped, feelings of worthlessness, or a preoccupation with death. They may even post online if they are considering suicide or self-harm; this can help stop suicide or self-harm if taken seriously. Taking people seriously is a must, as talking about suicide can be a plea for help, and can also be a late sign in the progression towards a suicide attempt. There is no way to know if a friend is suffering or in crisis, or is only seeking attention, especially if you're not a mental health professional. As such, each alarming post should be taken seriously, notes Dr. Jelena Kecmanovic, a clinical psychologist in Arlington,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

References

{{reflist Digital media use and mental health Human behavior Internet slang Slang Texting codes

Background

Potential causes

Separating sadfishing from crisis

See also

References