Avoid a Catfish

The digital revolution has impacted every aspect of modern life, including the way people date. There are literally thousands of different sites dedicated to helping people meet that special someone, but there are a few downsides. When you meet someone online, you can’t determine certain important factors such as the level of attraction. When you meet people the traditional way, you can see the person with whom you’re dealing which isn’t always the case when dating online.

Catch a Catfish

There are people who inentionally mislead others online with profiles full of fake pictures. The popular name for this type of activity is catfishing and the results can be emotionally devistating. There are a lot of reasons that would lead someone to deceive otherws online, but the most common motive seems to be loneliness. Fortunately, there is a trail of clues that most catfish leave when attempting to fool others.

Beware of the One Picture Profiles

Someone with a single picture on his or her prioflile should always raise your suspicion. Catfish tyically go online and find a picture of someone who they think is attractive. Therefore, they may not have access to multiple photos of the person. You should always be cautious when the there’s only one picture, especially if it looks like it was taken in a professional studio. You should also beware of pictures that look very old, because the person may have gained 100 pounds since it was taken.

Talk to People Close to You

If you meet someone who lives in France, he or she has a legitiate reason to avoid meeting with you in person. However, someone who lives five miles away is probably a catfish if he or she refuses to meet in person. You would hate to start an online relationship only to find that your significant other isn’t the person from the profile pictures.

Rely on Skype

This is your best friend when you’re dating online. This service allows you to see the face of the person to whom you’re talking. You don’t have to worry about dealing with a catfish when you communicate via Skype. You should immediately discontinue conversation with people who refuse to video chat with you, because there’s probably a catfish on the line.

If you meet someone online and you begin to feel emotions for him or her, you should ask yourself how important are looks. If peope didn’t place such a premium upon being attractive, less people would feel inclined to engage in the deceptive practice of catfishing. If you find out that the person is a catfish, perhaps you should consider continuing the relationship anyway, because your connection obviously goes beyond physical attraction. However, it will be difficult to maintain a relationship that was built on a lie.