A young woman posts a video of herself crying on TikTok, without giving many details. Someone on Instagram shares a long post about a breakup or a personal crisis. An influencer reveals their mental health diagnosis in a live stream. These are recurring scenes, with different faces and nuances, but the same underlying dynamic: publicly displaying personal suffering with the intention of receiving comfort, support, or validation. This behavior is known as sadfishing .
What is sadfishing ?
The term “sadfishing” was coined by writer Rebecca Reid in a 2019 article analyzing emotional social media posts that seemed to be seeking a massive support response. The neologism, which transforms ” catfishing ” (creating a fake online identity) by replacing ” cat ” with ” sad ,” alludes to the idea of using sadness as bait to attract emotional attention.
It’s not simply about expressing emotions on social media, which is perfectly valid and human. Sadfishing involves a more strategic or exaggerated use of suffering, which generates a response from the digital environment: likes and supportive comments, interactions that reinforce the behavior.
A need to be seen (and validated)
Psychologically, sadfishing can be understood as a way of seeking social validation. In environments where self-esteem is built (at least in part) through the responses of others, showing vulnerability can be a strategy to feel seen, loved, or understood—a way of asking for emotional support and recognition.
This need is related to the concept of “emotional support” or “containment”: the capacity of the environment (in this case, digital) to welcome emotional expression without judgment and with empathy. Thus, belonging arises not only from connection, but also from the recognition of shared vulnerability.
Some research also indicates that this emotional use of social media is linked to a need for emotional regulation and to more anxious attachment styles. This suggests that the relationship between emotions and digital platforms is profound and deserves clinical and educational attention.
There is also a cultural component. In the digital age, many people have grown up narrating their lives online . Sharing emotions, even painful ones, becomes an extension of that narrative. The boundaries between public and private, between authentic and performative, become blurred.
Authenticity or emotional strategy?
Sadfishing raises complex questions about authenticity. Some cases may seem manipulative or exaggerated, but judging intentions in a digital environment is difficult. What might appear to a viewer as dramatization could be a genuine way for the person posting to process their emotions.
From a psychological perspective, it’s important to consider the context and frequency. If someone constantly posts sad content to get reactions, they might be falling into an unhealthy pattern of emotional regulation. On the other hand, if it’s a one-off expression during a difficult time, it could be considered a valid form of catharsis.
Psychological risks
While sharing emotions can be liberating, sadfishing also carries risks. One of these is vulnerable emotional exposure in unempathetic environments. The internet doesn’t always respond with care. Those who share their distress may be subjected to ridicule, disbelief, or even harassment.
Another risk is dependence on external reactions. When emotional relief depends exclusively on digital responses, the capacity for emotional self-management weakens. This can reinforce a cycle in which the person needs to post to vent, generating a kind of “intermittent reward” similar to that of other addictive behaviors.
This mechanism is also present in the compulsive use of social media. Several neuroscience studies have shown that these platforms activate the same reward circuits as other behavioral addictions, especially through intermittent social reinforcement (such as “likes” and comments). This research explains that this type of unpredictable feedback reinforces repetitive and difficult-to-control behavior.
Furthermore, sadfishing can trivialize serious mental health issues. When everything becomes content, there is a danger of reducing suffering to an aesthetic narrative or a personal brand. Some experts have warned about the risks of “emotional hypervisibility” among teenagers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
A hyperconnected emotional culture
We live in a culture where emotional expression has become visible, shareable, and often monetizable. Sadfishing is seen as a symptom of this transformation. It’s not a pathological phenomenon in itself, but it does reflect how platforms have changed the way we connect with our emotions and with others.
The key lies in fostering emotional literacy that allows us to distinguish between healthy expression and digital dependency. And also in promoting spaces ( online and offline ) where showing vulnerability is not a desperate strategy, but a safe and contained possibility.
Sadfishing reminds us that behind the screens are people seeking relief, connection , or simply to be heard. As a digital society, we need to stop being quick to judge the ways others express their distress and instead engage in more empathetic conversations about how to support each other emotionally in these hyper-connected times.
Sometimes, crying in a video isn’t just a strategy: it’s a question thrown into the void, hoping someone will answer.
Author Bio: Oliver Serrano León is Director and Professor of the Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology at the European University
