why you should be wary of this flirting technique in times of pandemic

After the curfew, the confinement puts a strain on the love life of singles again. And it is not this new flirting technique, called "maskfishing", which risks fixing things …

The Covid-19 pandemic has turned our love lives upside down. We have also seen the emergence of several trends inherent in the crisis, such as zumping, where the fact of leaving someone by Zoom, or corona cuffing, which consists in finding a containment partner. Today, "maskfishing" is entering the vocabulary of love in the time of the coronavirus.

What is "maskfishing"?

At the time of the general wearing of masks, a new trend in dating has just emerged: "maskfishing". And this recent expression already has its definition on the Urban Dictionary site, the English-speaking slang bible. It's about "phenomenon of wearing a mask to appear more attractive than you actually are", can we read. The term would thus designate the fact of deliberately concealing the lower part of his face behind a mask. A kind of catfishing pandemic version, a process that consists of using a false identity online for the sole purpose of seducing.

According to the American dating site Adult Friend Finder (AFF), "maskfishing" is becoming so popular that they have had to initiate a "non-maskfishing mandate", prohibiting users from using only photos of themselves hidden on their dating profile.

See as well : how do singles cope with confinement on dating sites?

Video by Clara Poudevigne

Support for wearing a mask or an excuse?

Should we really be worried about this climbing trend? Yes and no. For Sarah Louise Ryan, relationship coach interviewed by Metro, maskfishing is above all risky for the person who does not take responsibility. "Some people get a feeling when they find out that they are not physically attracted to the person behind the mask," she explains. "However, it's not really surprising that people fall in love with other people with nothing but their eyes – because these play such an important role in dating and flirting." Not that it is only the physical that counts and takes precedence over the personality, but this type of behavior can reflect a lack of self-confidence and self-esteem, which some people need to be charmed.

For her part, journalist Taylor Andrews of the Cosmopolitan UK site seems more cheerful by the appearance of the mask on dating applications. "Wearing a mask in your photo is sexy", she asserts. “Obviously I don't condone any form of deception on dating apps. But is wearing a mask really the biggest problem we need to worry about? What about 'wokefishing'? Or sexual harassment? ". According to her, the masked person is not necessarily trying to cover up something, but perhaps, quite simply, to show support for wearing the mask.

Well, if your crush appears masked in all of their photos, do not hesitate to ask them for a snapshot without said mask anyway. And why not try a first date on video?

Lifestyle journalist, I write on the columns psycho / sexo but also deco (I have a passion for decoration shows). My goal: to offer subjects that tell about our time and you …