The advent of Internet and emergence of social media has ushered in a new era of relationship building, one where individuals deeply value digital clout i.e., a form of influence over some social media platform. In this trending bid to strengthen social status and cultivating connections, one might witness at times, that garnering attention often pushes authenticity into insignificance. Such is the intensity of deception and insincerity with which people operate now in digital space, that it actually might aggravate into a serious condition known popularly today as Munchausen by the Internet (MBTI)
Persisting as a type of factitious disorder, Munchausen as a syndrome is a rare psychological and behavioural condition is which a person fabricates or induces fake symptoms of illness in himself. Its recent manifestation in form of MBTI often emerges in digital platforms especially social media forums where people simply fake or profoundly exaggerate their symptoms in a recurrent and constant manner such that it causes significant distress or impairment in the subject’s social, occupational or other areas of functioning.
While evidences of malingering date back as far as Roman times, Munchausen syndrome first described in 1951 is named after a German aristocrat, Baron Munchausen, who became famous for telling wild, unbelievable tales about his past. MBTI on the other hand was identified by Feldman to describe an individual pretending to suffer a series of dramatic near-fatal illnesses. The term gained prominence in usage with the vast expansion of internet all across the globe. Not yet clearly recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), cases of MBTI are identified regularly. For instance, one case documented a brother-sister dyad who created an elaborate narrative to lure a woman into providing time and attention under false pretences. Such examples often involve meticulous planning on part of subjects who deliberate create complex conditions for no obvious reasons.
Often developing as a sort to escape from trauma or fulfil needs, MBTI is traditionally different from simple malingering where people engage in such acts solely to gain some tangible or financial benefit. The online persona of a ‘sick’ being majorly stems from a set of underlying emotional or psychological needs such as the need for attention, validation, or control which along with the anonymity and ease of access offered by the social media platforms exacerbates into a chronic condition of habitual deception ultimately evolving into MBTI. Falling under the ambit of social psychology, we trace several theories such as that of Walther, Taylor and MacDonald who provide some possible explanations to the phenomena. Research has shown a link between low self-esteem and the need for popularity to the way individuals manipulate relationships and the way they perceive others’ online relationships.
Intuitively, people feel that instead of focusing on transparency and relatability, targeting others’ emotions, can produce quick and better results for them. However, It is imperative to understand that while at first MBTI may arouse reactions of sympathy and care from other people, as soon as the hoax gets exposed, it can result in devastating effects especially within online discussion groups, destroying the trusting nature of members specifically those who are part of support groups and virtual communities intending to provide help and aid to real victims.
Sources of Information and Credits
Pulman A, Taylor J. Munchausen by internet: current research and future directions. J Med Internet Res. 2012 Aug 22;14(4):e115. doi: 10.2196/jmir.2011. PMID: 22914203; PMCID: PMC3510683. Cunningham JM, Feldman MD. Munchausen by Internet: current perspectives and three new cases. Psychosomatics. 2011 Apr;52(2):185–9. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mental-health/munchausens-syndrome