Do you like to flirt and do you enjoy meeting new people? Then be careful not to fall for wokefishing – or would you see right through the scam?
Anyone who is in love usually pulls out all possible levers to convince the person who is responsible for the butterflies in their stomach. Dress up nicely, be funny, play with your hair – you just do what you think you have to, and there can be a bit of a whisper: "You were touring Australia with a backpack? Wow, that would be something for me too ! ", might even come over the lips of a luxury freak, for whom spontaneity and adventure are foreign words – if there is only enough tingling in his core.
The so-called dating phenomenon wokefishing has similarities to the one described, but it also differs from the "want to please the swarm". Those who practice wokefishing are usually not really in love at all, but should pursue an ice-cold strategy with just one intention: to get the target person around.
What is wokefishing?
The term "wokefishing" is inspired by so-called "catfishing", the scam in which a person creates a fake profile to make a date clear, and was brought into circulation by the "Vice" author Serena Smith. Similar to catfishing, false facts are pretended in wokefishing, but lies are very targeted and limited: in relation to one's own values and political views.
The word "woke" (literally translated "awake") is used in English to express a certain political awareness and is often used in connection with the "Black Lives Matter" movement. The call to "stay woke" calls for people to be reflective and attentive to themselves and others in order to recognize and eliminate social injustice.
Back to the dating phenomenon: for example, if someone who eats a BigMäc every week pretends to be vegan and environmentally conscious in order to seduce another person who really cares about sustainability and animal welfare, that's wokefishing. If someone with similar intent claims they are a feminist, even though they actually think women shouldn't go to work, they are also a wokefish. In a nutshell: A wokefish pretends to be politically / socially engaged in order to "fish" a date – when in truth equality, animal welfare and co.
Would you fall for wokefishing?
It is questionable whether wokefishing will become a mass phenomenon like ghosting and we will have to expect it from now on with every new acquaintance. After all, on the one hand it is a scam that is likely to be pulled online – because at the latest in an intensive conversation where you look each other in the eye, it should be difficult for the wokefish to pretend convincingly. On the other hand, there may not be that many people who let someone get them around based on their political views (whatever the curve …). Certainly it makes a person more personable and rounds off the picture positively if they are reflective and interested in a world betterment. But does politics really play a big enough role in getting to know each other and falling in love to get others to bite with the right bait?
The fact is: Anyone who wokefishing is obviously insecure, not particularly successful at dating when they are themselves, and quite a *** because they don't seem to care about the feelings of others. And to cover it all up with a fake political stance, you have to be a really good actor …