Emotions = Games

So let me start by saying that this movie had my full attention THE WHOLE TIME. Documentaries usually don’t, but this peaked my interest. My first thought after he started talking about his relationship with Abby, a seven-year-old child with an amazing artistic ability who was allowed to just start sending Niv paintings free of charge is hard to believe. When he started forming a relationship with Angela, the mother, who had all of these crazy stories about all of the adventures her children were getting into, I couldn’t help but think “How did he not know her life was bs?” after the truth was finally revealed. With the title of the movie, we already know what to expect, but there were just way to many eccentricities about the stories that Angela/Abby/Megan told. Even after Abby and her friend told him the truth, he still hung out with the family as if nothing was wrong. He’ll always have the bittersweet memories of Angela and he made it worse by adding the memories of their day at the beach. Then on top of all of that, Niv didn’t let Angela’s husband know exactly what his wife was up to. I just seem to have a hard time sympathizing with that woman solely because of her actions. She was married and grown, and I can’t help but think of her as pathetic and disgusting for her actions (i.e. sexting, telling Niv she missed him and cared for him even though she has a husband). My question is, what type of person plays with others emotions this way? Sure, we hear about men and young leading others on and flirting with numerous people with the knowledge that it will never go farther than they want it to. But are those two instances the same or are they different? Are emotions just a different type of game to play when you’re too old for board games and nothing else excites you anymore? Is catfishing the new “trend” society has decided to partake in, despite the feelings involved?