How to tell if sadfishing is a call for help or attention seeking
Is someone in your social feed always posting sad stories? Known as ‘sadfishing’, it can be tricky to know if they’re genuinely sharing or fishing for sympathy.
Social media is a brave new world where people are sharing more than ever before, but sometimes posts are not the real deal.
Increasingly, we’re seeing influencers, celebrities and even people we know, detailing their personal battles online for attention, or in some cases to promote a product or business.
One recent high profile example was Kendall Jenner who hit the headlines for posting about her “debilitating” struggle with acne while spruiking a pimple cream.
Experts agree that “sadfishing” is becoming a problem in the social media age – but it can be difficult to know if someone is fishing or just sharing.
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What exactly is sadfishing?
“Sadfishing is where a person makes an emotional statement for the main purpose of gaining sympathy or attention,” explains Dr Chris Hand, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Glasgow.
“This could be online or offline, and the person could be genuine or fabricating their post.”
He explains that often people may be expressing their feelings or their response to an event that’s happened in their lives.
But unfortunately, in some cases, people are doing this for the wrong reasons.
“In its truest form, it could be argued the circumstances aren’t acute or severe, but the person is seeking to exaggerate the context to gain as much attention or provoke as strong a reaction as possible,” Dr Hand says.
“Although it maybe ‘scratches an itch’ for them as the ‘fisher’, ultimately the possible negative consequences for the audience and their wider social network outweigh their own gains.”
He says sadfishing can have negative impacts as “it potentially reduces the emotional resources that the audience has available to allocate to people who genuinely need support.”
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Is it always sadfishing?
Jackie Hallan from ReachOut says it’s important to remember the words we use are important, so don’t be too quick to call someone out for sadfishing.
“Social media is a powerful tool because it gives us all a voice to share our opinions and experiences,” Jackie says
“Sharing stories and experiences is really important and we know they can make young people feel less alone.
“So, I don’t think the label ‘sadfishing’ is always helpful or necessary.”
“Some young people might not be in a place where talking about their experiences is comfortable for them and sharing online might feel easier.”
She also adds that people’s reactions to posts can help these people build up courage to seek help.
How to manage sadfishing on your social feed
If you’ve spotted sadfishing online, there are a few things you can do.
When it’s a celebrity or influencer, muting their feed or scrolling are the best options rather than getting into an online slanging match.
If it’s someone you know Dr Hand’s tip is to take the response out of the public realm.
“Check in on them privately,” he says.
“Send them a private message.
“Make a phone call. Leave a voice note. Offer to meet up with them.
“If you notice something that seems ‘not right’, tactfully ask if they need help.”
Jackie says also to take action if posts seem like a call for help.
“If you’re concerned about someone’s safety, then there are immediate steps you can take such as getting in touch with them or a friend or family member directly or reporting the post to the social media platform,” she says.
She also recommends visiting ReachOut’s urgent help page or, in case of emergency, call 000.
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