Because the Internet is so popular and easy to find and share information, it is becoming more and more easier to be connected with people. For example, you can find what is going on in the world or follow your favorite celebrities and find out their every move on Twitter. I personally do not use Twitter because I do not really care what is going on with other peoples lives and what other people are doing but I am aware of what goes on in the world of Twitter through my friends. Using these social networking websites, open up a whole new world or even fake world, to the users of it.
Some may argue that it is nothing but a commodity in today’s society to be on all these social networking sites. Although many people may think this, there are not only flaws for social networking but online sites in general. Social networking and forming relationships online is the main concept in the documentary Catfish. Nev, a normal every day man thought it would be a good idea to meet people online through social networking. Little did he know what he was getting himself into. Nev entered a world of misconception and lies. Nev thought this whole time that he was talking to someone that he may have seemed interested in all through the Internet. As their relationship grew fonder Nev became more and more involved and in touch with not only Abby (the little girl and Angela’s daughter) but her entire family, this was someone who he found connections with until he started to dig deeper and realize that everything this girl was saying was an utter lie. Nev became intrigued with the story being made up and played along with it. Nev went to see Angela and her family. He then began to find out about the truth and lies this women has been saying to him. The extent to which this woman, Angela, went to in order to keep this story sounding true and legit was extraordinary. Even after Nev caught her in the middle of a lie, she kept up a different story and told Nev that all the people she had made up were just Megan’s friends and young adults that were in the neighborhood.
So the problem is, how far will people go to believe something over the Internet is true or false? Why did Nev become so easily tricked into believing this family? This really goes to show you how many people believe things that they hear and see over the Internet. This is a great example of how easily tricked and soaked into the Internet people can get. What would have happened if Nev was not smart enough to realize something wrong was going on? How far would this relationship have gone? Nev got upset at the fact that he believed and was so naive about this circumstance.
The story and lesson behind this documentary was not made to look down upon the family and their lies, or even to make fun of Nev’s naivety, but this film, I believe was made to make people who watch this film and hopefully people in general to not always believe what you see or hear over the Internet. This documentary taught a good lesson in that people who you may meet over social networking sites may not be the people who you think they are when they are away from the computer. When you are on the computer you can be who ever you may want to be unless of course someone like Nev shows up to your house to find out you’re not who you say you are. Social networking may bring people together but may be not the people who you think they are.
