People on TikTok Are Asking If They're "Mask Fishing," but What Does That Mean?

Ever since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, people around the world have been encouraged to wear masks out in public. Over time, masks have become a symbol for so many different ideas and aspects of life. But at the end of the day, it mainly covers one-half of your face. For some people, that's become a problem.

TikTok is known for some pretty fun and sometimes harmless trends. But users on the app also use their platforms to discuss all kinds of situations. One of the latest is something called "mask fishing." Here's what it is and how it has even affected the way people are dating.

Mask fishing is another form of catfishing. It's when you look "better" wearing a mask than you would without it. Some people are asking their followers if their masks cover features that they might consider unflattering. Others have videos showing that their masks hide a lot of their acne or saying that the top half of their face doesn't match the bottom.

Some people are insecure about the way they look. They may feel like they look better with a mask but also feel like they might be deceiving anyone they meet face-to-face.

One user named @vicityyy posted a video saying that someone had told her she looks different than they thought she would without her mask. Now, she says she's "terrified" of mask fishing.

Some of the posts on the mask fishing hashtag are more serious and feature people who are just curious. A lot of them are funny. Some people ask if they're mask fishing but then take off the covering to reveal a meme or a silly face.

Some of the posts are also using audio from the movie Jennifer's Body where Jennifer and Needy are confronting each other. Jennifer tells her that she could never be insecure.

For some, mask fishing is a joke, but others take it very seriously. Even though so many people have been quarantined, online dating is still popular. People have been using these apps throughout the pandemic to talk to others even if they don't feel comfortable meeting in person. But wearing a mask has become a huge topic of discussion on there.

There are some people who make the assumption that people who don't wear a mask, don't mention having gotten a COVID vaccination, or don't talk about meeting up safely in their bios don't care about the pandemic among other things. For a lot of people, it's become a political or human rights issue when trying to meet someone new and wearing a mask is a sign of where someone falls in those broad categories.

Whether or not you should wear a mask on a dating profile is a personal choice only you can make. But keep in mind that plenty of people will assume things about you because of it. To avoid mask fishing, many people put a variety of selfies up with only one or two featuring the covering.