The internet may be one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, but for all the convenience it’s brought, it’s also done something else – it's made us terrible at lying.
One of the most recent notorious examples came from a Coldplay concert this summer. A seemingly harmless kiss-cam moment turned into a full-blown viral saga. A couple, both high-ranking executives at the same company, were caught trying to hide from the camera, prompting Chris Martin to cheekily remark: "Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy." Turns out, they were having an affair.
The clip quickly went viral, the pair (and their families) were identified and both ended up resigning. All that secrecy, but pointless in an age when everyone not only has their phones out, but they are also quick to post to social media. And it’s not only a romantic scandal, creative theft also gets exposed just as quickly.
On a recent Egyptian talk show, a guest presenter and influencer showcased several European artworks, claiming them as her own. She almost got away with it until the original artists spotted their work online. The backlash was swift and public, and both the host and guest presenter had to apologise on air. Different languages don’t matter, because artists will always know their own work. The “I made it myself” lie doesn’t hold up when Instagram has dates and timestamps, and images can be reverse-searched in seconds.
Whether it’s getting caught cheating at a concert or passing off someone else’s work as your own, the internet has made it more likely than ever that you’ll be exposed. Some readers might not remember life before the web, but most millennials my age have at least a few pre-Internet memories, and yes, life was more simple back then. If you couldn’t be somewhere because you wanted to be elsewhere, there wasn’t the fear of getting caught via social media.
But these days, with all the ways someone can be caught in a lie, it still amazes me that people bother trying. Of course, not all lies are necessarily bad. Some might even be necessary. A well-timed fib can spare someone’s feelings, smooth over an awkward moment or help you gracefully exit a conversation you didn’t want to be in to begin with.
But lying about where you went to university or claiming job experience you don’t have … it’s almost brazen, if it weren’t so stupid. Especially now, when the internet makes fact-checking effortless. You don’t even need a computer; a smartphone can easily do the job.
Part of the problem is that people share so much online, it can be hard to keep things straight. Every post, photo or comment leaves a trail, and if one person doesn’t spot the lie, someone else will.
It’s not only technology that’s made lying harder, but the culture that’s been created. We live in a time where oversharing is normal, constant self-promotion is expected and every moment is documented for an audience. That combination makes people overconfident about curating a version of themselves that isn’t entirely real.
The thing is, anyone can get caught. Every day lies unravel online. Like the influencer who posted a shot of herself in Emirates business class, only for another passenger to upload a photo of her in the same outfit, sitting in a less glamorous seat towards the back. She later insisted there’s nothing wrong with flying economy, but her own staged image suggested she might feel otherwise.
Or another influencer who was spotted picking up trash on a beach for a video, only to be filmed by a passer-by leaving the trash bag and its contents on the beach after the video was finished.
Lying to impress others shouldn’t be the goal, but in an age where we share so much, it’s as if we don’t have anything to show off, then we shouldn’t be showing anything at all. In 2025, the advice isn’t “don’t get caught” it should be – don’t bother lying in the first place.
