At National Online Safety, we provide multi-award-winning online safety education for the whole school community. It’s our mission to make the internet a safer place for children. We believe that when children go online to learn, communicate or play, they should be able to do so safely. That’s why we provide schools all over the world with the knowledge they need in order to tackle new and evolving online risks.
Sadfishing
Part of our Online Mental Health & Wellbeing Series 2020-21
What is sadfishing?
‘Sadfishing’ is a behavioural trend where people make exaggerated claims about their emotional problems to generate sympathy and gain attention.
The term was created in 2019 by a blogger who used it to describe celebrities who embellish their emotional difficulties to generate sympathy and gain more followers.
With sadfishing, real problems can be overlooked, or young people can be bullied for having shared their problems online.
For more information on the associated risks and online safety tips for parents and carers, watch our explainer video, available to those with a National Online Safety membership.
