The Difference Between Using Photoshop And Being An Outright Catfish

Altering pictures and adding a filter to an image is normal practice in this day and age. Yet Savenia thought that using Photoshop (on her own photos) to prepare herself "look like a supermodel" constituted being a Catfish.


Before explaining the content of the distinction between building a fictional online persona with pictures of another person vs. Enhancing pictures of yourself, here's a condensed explanation of tonight's brand-new episode. Savenia first contacted Nev and Max a couple of months prior, confessing that she was "not the person he thinks I am." That "he" turned out to be Dylan, who contacted the digital detectives separately about his digital pen pal of five years. Imagine the shock of the trio as soon as Savenia was actually the girl in the photographs -- based on her own words pre-meeting.


"I posted a lot of pictures of me looking really good, like Photoshopped -- and I'm not like that. As you could visualize, I don't look like that," Savenia confessed as she and Dylan shared a tearful and affectionate embrace. Yet Dylan imagined otherwise and stated that she was "beautiful."


But there was still more to the story on Savenia's side -- and how she considered she was deceiving Dylan.


"I was really scared to meet you because I'm a giant. I'm really self-conscious. I feel like I was catfishing him, my boobs were Photoshopped, my butt's Photoshopped. My face looks flawless. I don't look human -- I look like a supermodel. I'm really lanky and dorky and awkward, and I just didn't want him to be able to see that side of me."


Max was quick to put the scenario into perspective -- and why the digital landscape has changed via years any time it comes to sharing pics.


"I sort of think we've hit the point in social media culture where we just sort of expect that [in] those photographs you're going to look a little bit different in real life," he thoughtfully stated.


Nev echoed his co-host's sentiments and added that Savenia didn't look "that different," and if he saw her vs. The Photoshopped pictures, he would absolutely recognize her.


While Dylan and Savenia would up as boyfriend and girlfriend (!!!) And revealed while in the three-month catchup that they were right now living in Virginia with each other, her views about her past behavior supplied a teaching Catfish moment. Using the graphics editor with your own pictures and poaching someone else's snapshots as your own are not the same, even if the former isn't a totally accurate portrayal of yourself. And while Savenia may have once imagined she was conning Dylan, she doesn't come remotely close to former MTV frauds.


Do you change your pictures on your social media platforms -- and can you identify with Savenia? Share your stories in the comments.