Ludicrous myths that your friends share on Facebook (person, member, Christian)

[kayanne]

We all have 'em, those friends and family members that we love dearly, but sometimes they post the most ridiculously untrue, moronic myths and warnings on Facebook. You know, the kind of posts that show such complete ignorance of the topic at hand that you feel embarrassed for the person. Here's my contribution:

I absolutely HATE it when I read the often-repeated post about margarine being only one molecule away from plastic. Aaaarrgghhh! Did you never take even one chemistry class in high school? If not, then you should probably avoid talking about molecules. :roll eyes:

What ones drive you bonkers? And do you bother posting your perspective on the matter?

[Mattie]

I do. Some of the information is not only wrong, but dangerous, such as one I saw about a month ago claiming that 112 was a backup to 911 calls, and would work anywhere, even without cell service. I just posted the link to Snopes.com, which is what I usually do, regardless of the subject. It eliminates the argument aspect.

[elhelmete]

This is one concrete example of when I have doubts about people in real life based on what they post on FB. Really makes me wonder.

[catdad7x]

I'm not on Facebook, but I get plenty of that in real life without it. I usually just keep silent and move on.

[Tracysherm]

I hate when people post alerts and warnings about things that have been debunked by Snopes years ago.

I just had a facebook "friend" posting that stupid thing about cell phone numbers "going public next month" and if you don't call a certain number, you'll get slammed by telemarketers. Ugh, we've had state and national do-not-call lists for years and though you might choose to put your cell phone number on the list, you don't have to because the numbers still don't appear in any publicly-available directory. Even before I joined facebook in 2008, I used to get e-mails like this for years, and I'd have to send people the Snopes link. I've had the same cell phone number since 1995 and I've yet to receive one telemarketing call from any company that I did not personally give my # to.

I also have people who post that stupid thing about the NJ or PA "speeding ticket frenzy" warning us that for 30 days, we are all certain to get pulled over for going so much as one mph over the speed limit, or that state troopers are going to get huge bonuses for issuing tickets. Again, I post the Snopes link in case any of the "friend's" friends believe that crap.

My mom and her friends (all in their 60s) are famous for perpetuating these myths. Even after I send the Snopes link and tell Mom that it's not true, she'll post it again a year later, saying she forgot it was fake, or "I figured it was fake, but you never know..."

I'm glad that the rash of anti-vaccination myths seem to have stopped getting posted. That ridiculousness went on for a few years, and some people on facebook were like anti-vaccination zealots. They all feel pretty silly now, I'd imagine.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by Mattie

I do. Some of the information is not only wrong, but dangerous, such as one I saw about a month ago claiming that 112 was a backup to 911 calls, and would work anywhere, even without cell service. I just posted the link to Snopes.com, which is what I usually do, regardless of the subject. It eliminates the argument aspect.

That what I do, too. I can't believe the things people swallow whole without thinking.

Similarly, I just have to share a "YOU'RE KIDDING" moment I experienced over the weekend.

I went with a few other people to The Cloisters, the museum that houses the medieval collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC for a medieval Christmas music program. Prior to the program, we walked around the museum a bit.

One of the Cloisters' greatest treasures is The Unicorn Tapestries, a series of tapestries depicting a story of the hunt of the unicorn, which is a Christian allegory.

The Unicorn in Captivity (from the Unicorn Tapestries) | South Netherlandish | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

One of the women I was with, about 80 years old but well-educated, a former teacher, and married to a psychiatrist, walked around the tapestry room and then remarked to me, "I never realized that they actually used to hunt unicorns." I looked at her to see if she was joking. She was dead serious. I just smiled and kept walking.

[linda814]

The post about if you're getting held up at the ATM so you are supposed to put your pin number in backwards and it summons the cops........my pin IS THE SAME forward and backwards....no cops came...

Someone posted Betty White DYES at home... People were all RIP BETTY..the guy was talking about her HAIR...

And how about those baby carrots being dipped in chlorine.... That was a big one too...they are washed but it's not going yo kill you...

[Fiona13]

Originally Posted by kayanne

I absolutely HATE it when I read the often-repeated post about margarine being only one molecule away from plastic. Aaaarrgghhh! Did you never take even one chemistry class in high school? If not, then you should probably avoid talking about molecules. :roll eyes:

LOL! So that is where that came from. They didn't take Organic Chemistry and realize a molecule can be HUGE.

I've gotten away from FB and this is something I don't miss. My favorite was the one where if you flash your headlights at an oncoming car, it is some sort of gang signal. I forgot whether this would result in you getting shot? Too stupid to remember. Anytime someone had flashed their lights at me, it was to tell me a state trooper was up ahead and help me avoid a ticket! I appreciate this!! Why would anyone want to discourage this? It is aggravating that someone started this dumb rumor. And even more aggravating that it refuses to die.

[linda814]

Or don't feed your dog a certain food....it kills dogs...the woman in the article was talking about her 13 yr old Dalmatian dying....and she blamed it on his food.. HES 13..

[linda814]

I also love when people keep posting about GMOs and them they post pictures of what they eat...