Season Nine Week Nine: Keep Calm And End This Meme
SNOPES.COM
Remember it. Learn it. Use it. Please. I see so many ridiculous urban legends being shared on Facebook and no one has verified if it's real or not. I often find myself looking them up on Snopes and then linking the OP to the Snopes article. I like to think that I am friends with intelligent people but when I see someone posting about nails in cheese at dog parks or needles under car door handles, I sincerely wonder.
Here are the current Top 10 memes that Snopes has seen as of today... How many have you shared or seen recently?
Crest 3D White Toothpaste
Warning about Crest 3D White brand toothpaste causing plastic balls to become embedded in users' gums.
Obamacare Mandates Microchip Implantation
Claim that Obamacare regulations require Americans to be implanted with RFID microchips.
Starbucks Refuses Marines
Claim that Starbucks refused free product to Marines serving in Iraq.
Motel 6 Turns Away Soldier
Account of an Atlanta Motel 6 outlet that turned away a U.S. Army soldier because he was underage.
Heartbleed Bug
Discovery of a major bug known as 'Heartbleed' that can compromise online account information.
New Pepsi Can
Claim that a new Pepsi soda can design omits the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.
Dwayne Johnson Death
Report that actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was killed filming a stunt for Fast & Furious 7.
Smuggled Malaysia Flight 370 Photograph
Conspiracy theory about a passenger on missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 posting a picture taken with a hidden cell phone to the Internet.
ATM PIN Reversal
Claim that entering your PIN in reverse at any ATM will summon the police.
Remove Jesus Please
Photograph shows a school essay rejected because the student chose 'Jesus Christ' as her hero.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/info/top25uls.asp#TwmhvzjITwE3VLsQ.99
It amazes me what people will believe without actually checking out the facts. Are we really that gullible? Do people really believe that their toothpaste will embed plastic balls into their gums? Or that the Healthcare Act will force people to be micro-chipped? Or even the story that putting your PIN number in backwards at the ATM will call the police?
How do these stories even get started? By someone who is bored and wants to see if it will catch on? Someone with terrible paranoia? Or just someone with a good imagination? And an even better question, how and where do the claims end if people continue to share them without checking the facts first?
And don't even get me started on the image memes with "inspirational" messages on them. Or the religious ones. I miss the days before Facebook had the "share" option. My whole news feed is flooded with memes. And especially the ones that say you'll share if you believe in God and something horrible will happen if you don't share it. Come on, seriously? Facebook was much better when people actually shared what was going on in their lives and not so many silly memes. To be honest, I wish ALL of the memes would go away. Even though I am just as guilty as everyone else when it comes to sharing some of them.
In the future though, please keep calm and remember to check Snopes.com and check the facts before you share something outlandish. You'll be glad you did, and so will your followers.
Remember it. Learn it. Use it. Please. I see so many ridiculous urban legends being shared on Facebook and no one has verified if it's real or not. I often find myself looking them up on Snopes and then linking the OP to the Snopes article. I like to think that I am friends with intelligent people but when I see someone posting about nails in cheese at dog parks or needles under car door handles, I sincerely wonder.
Here are the current Top 10 memes that Snopes has seen as of today... How many have you shared or seen recently?
Crest 3D White Toothpaste
Obamacare Mandates Microchip Implantation
Starbucks Refuses Marines
Motel 6 Turns Away Soldier
Heartbleed Bug
New Pepsi Can
Dwayne Johnson Death
Smuggled Malaysia Flight 370 Photograph
ATM PIN Reversal
Remove Jesus Please
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/info/top25uls.asp#TwmhvzjITwE3VLsQ.99
It amazes me what people will believe without actually checking out the facts. Are we really that gullible? Do people really believe that their toothpaste will embed plastic balls into their gums? Or that the Healthcare Act will force people to be micro-chipped? Or even the story that putting your PIN number in backwards at the ATM will call the police?
How do these stories even get started? By someone who is bored and wants to see if it will catch on? Someone with terrible paranoia? Or just someone with a good imagination? And an even better question, how and where do the claims end if people continue to share them without checking the facts first?
And don't even get me started on the image memes with "inspirational" messages on them. Or the religious ones. I miss the days before Facebook had the "share" option. My whole news feed is flooded with memes. And especially the ones that say you'll share if you believe in God and something horrible will happen if you don't share it. Come on, seriously? Facebook was much better when people actually shared what was going on in their lives and not so many silly memes. To be honest, I wish ALL of the memes would go away. Even though I am just as guilty as everyone else when it comes to sharing some of them.
In the future though, please keep calm and remember to check Snopes.com and check the facts before you share something outlandish. You'll be glad you did, and so will your followers.