At the age of filtered photos and feeds, where standing out is often the goal, making a cool dating trend waves: reverse catfishing.
Unlike traditional catfishing, where people cheat others more attractive or successful online, reverse catfishing is about reducing your appeal. This is the art of playing “low-key” on the purpose, from dressing in profile paintings to leaving luxury mentions and flaunting a basic bio.
“Reverse catfishing is still very new,” says Ravi Mittal, founder and CEO of Dating App Quacques. “We feel that this is a love letter for emotional intelligence. In addition to the emotionally rescued and a very safe person, will dare to play it on the purpose? It shows that young datars are more interested in finding the right match than impressing the wrong.”
This understood approach is reportedly receiving traction between millennium and General Z, especially those who are disillusioned by the swipe-metal culture that often rewards only surface-level attractions.
For some, reverse catfishing is a form of digital detox under pressure to be ‘Insta-Parfact’. For others, this is a litmus test for real interest.
But the concept is not new at all.
Pratik Jain, a dating coach in India, says that “people of high-position backgrounds-Athlete, successor, or influential families have reduced their money for a long time or looks to attract those who see who they are.”
He says that when this step can be honest, it can also stretched a manipulating line. “Imagine showing a far better looking date than your photos. It can make a quick dopamine hit and artificially increase attraction.”
So, is the reverse catfishing romantic or a calculated trick?
According to experts, it depends. On the one hand, it indicates emotional maturity and self-observation-many datars now give more value to six-packs ABS or luxury cars. On the other hand, it can backfire if inequality between online and offline personality feels quarrelsome or dishonest.
