Social media, as I see it, can be both a blessing and a
curse. While sites such as Facebook and Instagram may keep you in contact with
all your friends and family, these domains hold the potential to be extremely destructive.
As showcased during the film, Catfish,
social media can be a catalyst for deception. Nev, the main character in the
film, began a “relationship” with a girl he only knew via Facebook, Megan. When
Nev was finally able to link up with “Megan,” we discovered that Megan was
really Angela. This type of interaction is far too common, as Catfish has been turned into a MTV television
series starring Nev.
We
discussed many topics in class, including different moral dilemmas proposed by
the film. The question I would like to address is whether or not what Angela
did is considered cheating. In my opinion, Angela broke a few boundaries when
she created her alternate life on Facebook. The interactions between her and
Nev were very inappropriate for a married woman. If I has a significant other,
and they were to say many of the things Angela said to Nev, both sexual or nonsexual,
I would without a doubt consider it cheating and more than likely break up with
them. A relationship, especially a married one, needs to be treated with the
upmost respect and effort. Angela spent quite a lot of time and effort in
keeping her various fake Facebook profiles up and running, energy that very
well should have been spent working to make her relationship with Vince more fulfilling
so she would not feel the need to create such a fantasy world online.
Furthermore,
while I do believe Angela’s life was very stressful and rough, she must be able
to find a healthier outlet to relieve her stress rather than immersing herself
in a self-created fantasy world that negatively effects the lives of other
people. The level of deception she created held for months, until Nev put a few
pieces together and began to unveil what was really going on. Not only did this
hurt him, but it also hurt Angela as well, as she felt she had done a great
wrong to Nev, and began to see the error of her electronic ways.
Overall,
Catfish really opened the eyes of
many people to the dangers social media holds for those who are not careful.
While I consider it to be a moral transgression to lie to another individual
online, many users do not hold these same values. I usher a word of caution to
everyone who uses the internet: Don’t get catfished.
1 comment:
I agree with everything you said. Angela, in some ways failed her relationship with Vince. I feel like there are many options in the world for people who feel lonely and in the same predicament as Angela. Support groups, marriage counseling, fun days out with her family. I feel like she didn't put the effort where it belonged. If she focused on her actual life and not the online life she exhibited, her end game would've been much more fulfilling.
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