Urban Myths

Urban legends are as old as civilization but now in the internet age these fantastic fables are spread more quickly picking up more naive believers along the way. How they get started can vary and the motives can go from simple yarn spinning to making a fast buck through disinformation. One thing is sure, there are a lot of them floating around and many people consider these fractured facts to be truth.

Sometimes an urban legend can begin with a simple fact or truth and be transformed over time into a fantastic tale through the story being modified down the line as it is passed on. The internet has perpetuated this phenomenon exponentally. Take for example the old chestnut about Proctor & Gamble being a satanic company. Someone decided that the 13 stars (13 members in a satanic coven) and half-moon (devil worship in the moonlight) on the company’s logo meant that it was a satanic organization. Even after numorous press releases and denials by the company, Christian groups across the U.S. still began to boycott the coporate giant. After several courtroom decisions that was no truth to the allegations this urban legend still persists.

Another persistent gem that was even the plot for a major motion picture is the urban legend that states if your college dorm roommate commits suicide you will get a grade point of 4.0. This isn’t true, never has been true and probably will not be true in the future as colleges and universities do not reward tragic events with higher GPA’s or grades. The story will go on for years no doubt, with many believing that it is true.

Urban myths and legends seem to take on a life of their own and evolve and change as the years go by. People want others to view them as authorities on facts so they repeat some interesting story or tidbit and the listener believes it and passes it on. When enough people hear an untruth eventually it becomes real. These storys are often puntuated with the phrase “it happened to my friend, I Know its true…” or something similar.

The good news is that we have a vast resource at our fingertips nowadays to confirm or dispel these urban legends and myths and it is called the internet. Most facts can be cross checked and verified one way or another but the tall tales will still be told anyway.