Appropriation VS Appreciation: Why I Think Blackfishing Is Wrong

Pic: Unsplash / Eloise Ambursley

Blackfishing is when somebody pretends to be black or mixed race on social media channels when they are not.

There are some people who are doing blackfishing just to increase their Instagram likes and to become more well-known, like Emma Hallberg, from Sweden.

Emma told Buzzfeed, “I get a deep tan naturally from the sun” and that she didn’t use fake tan. However, I believe that this is a lie as you can see in some images of her that she has white skin.

People who are doing black fishing like Emma, and another woman called Aga Brzostowska, don’t realise how much they are offending black people. Black people have gone through a lot due to their skin colour, for example, they have been discriminated against and abused and many more things.

A white person changing their white skin to black is not only wrong and disrespectful, but it is also unfair to social media users who are feel conned and duped.

It also shows that they are uncomfortable in the skin they were born with, which they shouldn’t be.

I believe blackfishing is a serious issue where people believe they can change their skin colour to an extent where you can see it is not a natural tan. This is wrong to me because it shows that you don’t love yourself the way you are and is disrespectful to people who are genuinely of that race.

Nobody should ever fake their race or ethnicity for likes, clicks and attention on social media.