"I just saw your Dr. Phil episode, and I wanted to tell you how brave I thought it was that you were willing to share your story on a national TV. I haven't ever experienced anything like what you went through, but I imagine it must have been (and probably continues to be) an incredibly painful and damaging experience. Thank you for being willing to speak about it and draw attention to the problem of "catfish." I imagine many people who saw the episode are now more careful and cautious about their online interactions with people. I haven't read the hateful FaceBook comments mentioned in one of the comments, but I know people are always incredibly quick to judge others, especially when they don't know them or don't try to relate to their situation. I think they try to tear other people down to convince themselves that they're somehow too smart to have the same thing happen to them. But it's so easy to fall into a fantasy; I imagine we all have, at some time or another and in different ways. It strikes me as ironic that during the show Dr. Phil highlighted how lack of empathy can be so damaging, and now some people seem to be responding to you without any empathy at all. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I thought you did a great thing and you don't deserve the backlash you're getting. Best of luck to you in the future!"
A Contact Us Form Entry 12-21-12:
"I just saw your Dr. Phil episode, and I wanted to tell you how brave I thought it was that you were willing to share your story on a national TV. I haven't ever experienced anything like what you went through, but I imagine it must have been (and probably continues to be) an incredibly painful and damaging experience. Thank you for being willing to speak about it and draw attention to the problem of "catfish." I imagine many people who saw the episode are now more careful and cautious about their online interactions with people. I haven't read the hateful FaceBook comments mentioned in one of the comments, but I know people are always incredibly quick to judge others, especially when they don't know them or don't try to relate to their situation. I think they try to tear other people down to convince themselves that they're somehow too smart to have the same thing happen to them. But it's so easy to fall into a fantasy; I imagine we all have, at some time or another and in different ways. It strikes me as ironic that during the show Dr. Phil highlighted how lack of empathy can be so damaging, and now some people seem to be responding to you without any empathy at all. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I thought you did a great thing and you don't deserve the backlash you're getting. Best of luck to you in the future!"
2 Comments
Observer
12/26/2012 06:05:50 am
Come on! 110% tips to avoid CatFish: ALWAYS make whoever you're talking to MAKE A DATED and PERSONALIZED sign! Meaning, YOUR NAME on signed/dated paper, of course. Also, the most obvious, if someone just LOOKS to good to be true AND will not prove themselves, via dated AND signed pictures, they are not real. It's THAT simple. In this day and age, EVERYONE has access to prove themselves. If you're talking/texting (THEY HAVE a camera on their phone. Cameras are mandatory on ALL cells, especially ones in the past, hmmm, 7 years?) if they're making any excuse at all. They are not real!!!
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To: Observer
12/26/2012 07:19:45 am
Thank you Captain Obvious. These tips may not be so obvious to people who do not spend their lives online, but decided to try a different avenue to meet new people. Live and learn. We meet fake people face to face all the time, that doesn't make them more "real."
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