The Implications of Deception

        The film Catfish brings to light an issue that we are just now getting used to in the digital age, and that issue is the ease with which we can deceive one another on the Internet. Basically, we can assume 3 different forms of identity on the web. The first identity is the "social self," which would comprise one's social network profiles or emails that are listed under one's name. This identity offers little flexibility for deception since one would run the risk of being found out and disgraced. The second identity is the "anonymous self," which one can assume on various websites where only one's chosen username is displayed to others. In a sense, this identity offers the highest flexibility for deception since anyone can make untrue claims about oneself as long as anonymity is protected. However, most Internet-conscious people are aware of this fact, so it is natural to take what random people online say with a grain of salt. The third identity , the "false self," is the most devious since it provides the benefits of  of the social self and the anonymous self.
        As we can see from the film, Angela managed to deceive Yaniv for so long because the outright lies that she manufactured were hidden behind a veil of supposed authenticity. The lies that she could have told as an "anonymous self" (such as Abbie being a brilliant painter) were presented as genuine because they were under the guise of the "social self." It was not only the profiles of Angela, Abbie, and Megan that Angela controlled. She created an entire web of fake profiles/personas to produce the illusion that her lies were indeed true. Effectively, she made it so that she could say almost anything on the Internet and eliminate any doubt that she could be lying.
        So, the question remains; was that relationship she had with Yaniv genuine? Names and appearances do have little importance in who we are as people, but it is clear that we value them since Angela felt the need to lie about herself in that manner. Would Yaniv have ever formed a friendship with her had she not lied in the first place? It's unlikely, but I would argue that their relationship only truly began after the truth was discovered. It may be true that we don't have "actual selves" that truly reflect who we are as people. We may just have different guises for different people and situations. However, as long as we feel the need to consciously lie to one another concerning things about ourselves that we know not to be true, we couldn't be further from our "actual selves."