Hatfishing is the new catfishing
Funnily enough, none of the above-mentioned fishing involves any sort of water creature, live bait, or a boat.
If you're unfamiliar with catfishing, the Urban Dictionary describes it as the following: "The phenomenon of internet predators that fabricate online identities and entire social circles to trick people into emotional/romantic relationships (over a long period of time)."
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Catfishing is definitely not a thing of the past and is still a very real issue and concern when it comes to internet/digital dating.
But it has now evolved.
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Just as most things can be divided into categories, it has now come to the attention of the dating community and researchers that there are various forms of catfishing.
Simone Thomas Wellness recently conducted a study that revealed the most bizarre dating phenomenon - 'hatfishing'.
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And what is 'hatfishing', you may be asking? Well, it's exactly what it sounds like: the act of concealing one's baldness on dating apps by using a hat in photos.
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Turns out 21% of those who are bald, or have thinning hair, will have attempted to conceal it, with 16% choosing the hat option.
And although you might think that this still could not be a very common occurrence, in a survey of 1,000 adults, one in 10 have been 'hatfished'.
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And if you are wondering if women even care that much about hair, they clearly do, as 40% say they wouldn't go further with a potential partner if they had been 'hatfished', which makes sense as 56% said they would prefer to date someone with a full head of hair.
Turns out beanies and caps aren't always as innocent as they seem!
But luckily now you've been warned, so be on the look out for any suspiciously cozy craniums this summer.
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Main image courtesy of iStock