Sadfishing (original) (raw)

Sadfishing is a term used to describe a behavioural trend where people make exaggerated claims about their emotional problems to generate sympathy. The name is a play on "catfishing." 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. 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.