London is the catfish capital of the UK
DATES IN THE CAPITAL FILTER MORE PHOTOS THAN ANY OTHER REGION
New tool allows users to find out how their dating, photo and social media habits compare to the rest of the UK
London’s singletons are more likely to catfish you than anywhere else in the UK, according to a new study, with Londoner’s more likely to use old photos on dating apps and social media.
Research carried out for How Filtered is Your Life? shows that catfishing in the capital is rife, with Greater London the worst offending area in the UK for a number of dating no-no’s.
A study of more than 2,000 people revealed that London has the highest proportion of people using photos that are over 3 years old, with one in seven people doing so (14.23%).
Astonishingly, one in eight respondents (11.99%) in London are using a photo that is more than five years old – meaning it is a full half a decade out of date.
In comparison to the rest of the UK, Londoners are guilty of a range of editing offences, with 12.73% of respondents saying they have filtered a dating app photo (12.73%), and 6.74% of people filtering at last half of all their photos.
It is perhaps no surprise, then, that people in Greater London are more likely to turn up to a date to find person looks completely different to their dating app photo, with one in seven (14.23%) having done so.
With filtering so widespread in an image-conscious world ruled by social media, How Filtered is Your Life examines why so many people feel the need to embellish their image.
Users are able to answer a series of questions about their photo and filtering habits, including how they do it and where, and see how they compare to people of the same age, those in the same region, or the UK as a whole.
Dr Hayley Higson, a clinical psychologist for the NHS, said social media provides “unlimited opportunities” for people to compare themselves to others.
“While this can be viewed as a source of motivation and inspiration, it is more often associated with the development of negative self-perceptions, feelings of inadequacy, inferiority and low mood,” she adds.
The research How Filtered is Your Life? found that more than over half (51%) of all social media users over the age of 16 compare themselves and their lifestyles to others on one channel or another. An enormous 82% of 16 to 24-year-olds do this, making them by far the most susceptible age group.
More women than men compare themselves to celebrities (44% vs 31%), but more men than women compare themselves to colleagues (35% vs 29%).
Fellow NHS clinical psychologist Dr Kelly Price said images are most responsible for the negative effects of social media on mental health
“The use of photographs on social media creates an environment where individuals determine our social and personal worth. It’s argued that body or lifestyle comparisons with peers may, as a result, provide a standard toward which to strive,” she explained.
