Anyone who uses social media will recognize an oversharer who posts cryptic quotes about self-esteem on their Instagram Stories or vague captions that hint that karma will come for someone unsuspecting.
Academic researchers have called this attention-seeking behavior “sad fishing,” the act of posting on social media to get sympathetic comments and reactions.
The term was first coined by journalist Rebecca Reid in 2019, when it turned out that Kendall Jenner's vulnerable story about her “debilitating” struggle with acne turned out to be part of a bogus marketing ploy for her partnership with Proactiv. Since then, Reid has struggled to create the term, noting in a cheep that a term initially intended to criticize “celebrities who deliberately withhold information for their own benefit” is now used to discourage people from being vulnerable online.
“A lot of us are sad sometimes, and that's okay,” he said. aggregate. “Attention seeking is perfectly legitimate. There is nothing wrong with wanting attention.”
Since then, researcher and behavioral specialist Cara Petrofes has defined “sad fishing” as the “tendency of social media users to post exaggerations of their emotional states to generate sympathy,” a departure from Reid's use of the term. to criticize celebrity culture. She and her fellow researchers explored the social media phenomenon in a 2021 article published in the Journal of American College Health, intrigued by its prevalence as a “maladaptive” coping mechanism among college students.
Those with what popular psychology calls an anxious attachment style – characterized by fear of abandonment, a strong need for reassurance, and codependent tendencies – are said to be more prone to “sad fish” online.
“Our research showed that those who are anxiously attached tend to seek validation through others and need constant friend activity and a greater number of online/in-person friendships,” Petrofes explained to the Huffington Post “That can lead to sad fishing.”
He added: “This leads us to believe that perhaps those with anxious attachment and a correlated negative interpersonal experience are more likely to engage in maladaptive online behaviors, such as feigning depression or sadness online to gain support they feel they would not otherwise.” would exist.”
However, psychotherapist Tess Brigham argued that it is simply part of being human to seek validation from our peers and does not necessarily mean that one has an anxious attachment style.
“It used to be that someone would 'sad fish' at the church picnic or happy hour telling everyone about their horrible day, and everyone would gather around,” the psychotherapist told the outlet, noting that the digital landscape has changed the way to seek the sympathy of others. “But that's not our world anymore, so that's how people get attention.”
There is a difference between “sad fishing” and being legitimately vulnerable online. “Sadfishing” may come in the form of a specific quote about heartbreak that is clearly referring to a recent ex, but someone posting a caption about struggling with depression may be sharing a real cry for help or an attempt to connect with others. people who may or may not feel the same way.
When people accuse others of depicting sadness online for personal gain, it makes it harder for them to feel comfortable being serious and vulnerable in online spaces. Someone accused of “sad fishing” may be at risk of low self-esteem, anxiety and shame, according to the Conference of Chiefs. Their family and friends may look down on them for seeking care and they may be less likely to get the help and support they need.
