Everyone can find someone like them on the internet. This can often be a good thing- think philanthropy, or connecting the marginalized. Think of Simon Spier, from the movie Love, Simon. If you don't know, it is essentially about a closeted gay high schooler falling in love with a fellow closeted gay classmate online. It's very cute, and only possible because of social media.

The degree of anonymity, or at least the degree perceived makes people braver. It allows them to express themselves more freely, or at least parts of them. Like Simon, a gay boy in a primarily straight pretty small town. While he felt like his family would be fine if he came out, he felt like he'd be changing how everyone saw him if he did. So he played it straight.

However there is also a dark side to this, naturally. The Nasties can connect. The rapists, pedophiles, and criminals can get in touch, too. And if there are others like you- whole communities of them- well, perhaps you are not so Nasty after all. Perhaps such behaviors are normal.

Like I said, this can be a good thing. But polarization, which is what happens when the same ideas are reinforced repeatedly, is rarely a good thing. It is how people end up enemies over differences in opinion that to others seem rather insignificant.

This polarization is what leads to that mob mentality that was discussed in Here Comes Everybody. This can lead to some insane productivity, like the maintenance of Wikipedia. But far more often they gather and "shame" people, like that woman on the flight to Africa. Like WHOA that escalated SO quickly!!! And so violently! I bet there are still people who send her regular threats. I am not condoning or even defending her tweet- it was a joke made in poor taste that she will regret the rest of her life.

As someone who has made similarly stupid mistakes and statements, I can sympathize to a certain degree. Owning up to your mistake and apologizing is all you can do. But she was on a plane, and unable to even realize what a fool hardy joke she had made. By the time she had landed, the situation had progressed past the point of her apology meaning anything. Yes she made her bed, so she needs to lie in it. But GEEZ, let her get up and apologize. I'm assuming the best and that she was indeed making fun of white privilege as she claimed, and not actually being racist.

One statement shouldn't ruin your life. Perhaps make it unpleasant for a bit. But I have to believe that humanity is better than that overall. Otherwise, I'm not sure I'd be able to continue on my current path. I chose chemistry because I want to help people. If people are not worth helping, I couldn't stand it.

Back in my door-slamming phase, I would get in BIG trouble for slamming said doors. One time my dad straight up removed the door from its hinges. He told me that privacy was a privilege, and I had just lost it for a week. Most people treat privacy as a right. But I'm more inclined to agree with my father. If you post everything on social media, you forfeit any nonexistent right you have to privacy in terms of that information,

That's not to say it's morally acceptable to go through all your roommates things. Or break the lock on your brother's diary and read it. But privacy is an extension of trust. And trust has to be earned, I'm told. There's a basic level of trust and privacy that comes for granted until given reason to revoke it. 

But privacy is a privilege you can grant yourself, to a certain extent. Lock that diary up. Keep no physical records of your marital affairs. Keep your thoughts off your facebook page. Not to mention the less people know of you and your schedule, the less easy a target you will be for ill will. Thieves know when you're on vacation- because you posted it on Facebook. People you've wronged know that they can trigger an allergic reaction by wearing a certain perfume- because you posted it on Facebook. And that job you didn't get? It's probably that photo you posted of your new bong or something equally frowned upon.

Essentially, if you want to complain about people knowing too much about you- chances are it's your own damn fault.

If the internet is a social gathering, it is a Masquerade Ball. Everyone is presenting their best selves, and some choose to don a mask. At the Internet's Masquerade Ball, everyone only displays what they want others to see (or what they think others want to see). Some people do this to the extent of hiding their identity.

These are the catfishes. Some have evil/manipulative intentions, others without malice. A social minority may wish to express their views but feel that they cannot without risking their health, relationships or livelihood. Specifically those such as members of the LGTB+ community. While I am the sort of person to cut off those who disapprove of me, even I have those Great Aunts who think I should wear long skirts and marry young. But I still want that birthday check, so I keep my very feminist views in check on my social media.

I suppose my point is that while I personally think that honesty is the best policy, and if people don't like you for who you are, cut them off; catfishing is not inherently a bad thing. If I meet someone online, friend or otherwise, I am fully aware that my expectations of them are not going to be entirely fulfilled. If I go to meet 22 year old Jane and find out she's a 60 year old Jacob trying to manipulate younger women, yes I will be very mad! But if 22 year old Jane is living as a 22 year old Jacob who is a closeted trans girl, I will be significantly less so. I'll be very mad initially, but I'll get over it. Or not, in which case I'm not worth the time and effort they were putting into the friendship.

For me, escaping into the world of fiction (books, games, etc) is enough. But I also am generally happy with who I am and what is going on in my life. I have people who love me unconditionally, both in my family and my friends. I am not a homosexual in a homophobic town with no way to relocate, or a young Christian trapped in an area where religion is looked down upon. It must be liberating to finally express your views, protected by a fake identity.

If the only place you can be your true self is online, go for it. Chances are, you never hurt anyone by being you. We are all already fabricating our online presence by picking and choosing what we post. We even do it to an extent in real life. Catfishing is just one step further.

But I genuinely wish that if you catfish for the reason that you are not accepted in the real world, that you do find someone who accepts and loves you for who you truly are. Someone who sees you without your mask and still loves you all the same.

I am fascinated by the ideas of social media serial killers. There is an episode of Criminal Minds where the perpetrator finds his victims on social media and he befriends them online and eventually kills them. Then, he makes a blog post, JUST LIKE THIS ONE, detailing her death and presenting it as fiction.

DUN DUN DUN... Anyway he gets caught.

As a forensic gal, the topic of bad guys on the web is very interesting to me, though I confess I know little about it. The dark web is essentially that shady warehouse in he middle of nowhere that every one knows exists and houses the black market, but no one legitimate actually knows where it is. It is where sociopaths and serial killers swap stories, sell children, sex slaves, and other horrible goods and services.

But that is the future, and not the NOW. But to be quite honest I'm running out of things to say about Fake news and filter bubbles. They are epidemics that need quashed, but it's going to be very difficult to do so.

My mother once told me a story about a news station that pranked its audience by tellling them that the spaghetti trees had yielded very little that season. It was BBC on April Fool's in 1957, I just found the wiki page. Anyway, a TON of people believed the broadcast and the results were quite dramatic.

This wasn't exactly fake news, but it sure was spreading misinformation. For those of you unaware, spaghetti does not grow from trees. It is made from wheat. This misinformation game is nothing new. In fact, I doubt this was even the first case of such a prank. We've let it get so much worse as the years have gone by, no longer is it an amusing joke. An now we must lie in the bed we have made.