Are people lying more since the rise of social media and smartphones? | Hacker News Reader

Are people lying more since the rise of social media and smartphones?

theconversation.com

35 pointsonychomys13 comments

Most people’s online presence are a carefully curated window of their lives, ranging from rose tinted glasses, all the way to outright fraud.

So I’d say it ranges from sorta to absolutely.

Maybe I am old or just tainted, but in my experience people have always lied as much as today. Basically as much as you get away with and then some.

Surely "online" makes it easier to vastly over act / lie in that specific "carefully curated window" (I like that expression, will steal it from you), but AFK people have not changed in my experience.

"How was your vacation?"

"oh it was horrible, plane delays, no transport to the hotel, shitty hotel, cockroaches, sewer pouring into the sea, cold water, shitty hotel food, rain 5/6 days, it sucked"

vs.

*Instagram: one perfectly positioned and cropped photo of the beach, shot during the only sunny day of the vacation

You're joking but I recently found an old post of mine from an awesome vacation (but it wasn't really sunny) and one photo posted to facebook with, paraphrasing, "Oh hey, finally the sun is shining" but the photo is simply less grey than the others :D

It's much harder to lie face-to-face. Your body language will give you away unless you are well practiced at lying and deception (sales people, politicians, actors etc.).

Don't forget police, its part of their job to lie to the public

I've never used social media like Facebook or Instagram and I'm a better person because of it.

Probably sounds provocative for people who hang around there, broadcasting every experience in their lives as "amazing" but it's true.

If you've never used it you have no idea if it makes you a better person or not because you don't use it. In the same way, it doesn't make an old person better because they proudly proclaim how they've never used used the internet and that makes them better.

I'm sure you've missed out on lots of memorable events, missed opportunities to rekindle old friends hips and reconnect, and let friendships fade that would not have due to social media. I know that's been the case for me. Like everything that is powerful, with great power comes great responsibility.

I just have a few friends, they are at work or on chat programs and if we want to get together, we do. I admit I prefer meeting one friend at a time and I avoid social gatherings with lots of friends at the same time. So maybe that's why it works for me.

They definitely get busted red-handed more. Today there are cameras everywhere. That can make it seem like people are lying more.

Betteridge's law of headlines say NO. It is just easier than ever to share and disseminate your lies. Plus, lots more people can agree with you.

Yes

No.....?

Or was that a lie.

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