Sadfishing is the act of posting sensitive, emotional, or profoundly personal material online to gain sympathy, attention or validation from the online community, or to provoke and get more followers.
Celebrities and influencers often do this to get more attention, which will lead to more followers and online buzz. But when done frequently for non-marketing purposes, this could be a sign of attention-seeking behaviour deeper psychological issues, like personality disorders associated with low self-esteem, loneliness, narcissism (an inflated sense of self-importance), or scheming and manipulative behaviour. Often desperate for validation, Sadfishers crave attention, approval and appreciation and are prone to exaggeration, being dramatic and provocative. Young and naïve sadfishers can become soft targets for online exploitation of various sorts, while others are trolled and bullied.