Lying Is So Much Easier On The Conscience When You Don't Have To Look At Anyone

Studies

from the you-look-fat-in-that-dress dept

A new UK study suggests that technology not only makes lying easier, it allows liars to feel less guilty about doing it. More than four out of five people say they tell “little white lies” at least once a day, most preferring to do so via cell phone, text message or e-mail. Older studies proclaimed that people loved to lie over the phone, but weren’t so keen on lying via e-mail (partially because people don’t want a record of the lie). Obviously the lies being told are the same ones we’ve been telling for hundreds of years (I’m too sick to come to work, you look fine in that outfit, etc.) — technology simply acts as an emotional firewall, allowing us to lie without having to look someone in the eye. Some think that’s partially why videophones have never taken off, despite videophone technology that employs fake backgrounds to match the lie being told. Perhaps someday we can skip the whole messy affair and just have our sentient robot overlords lie for us.