25 People Reveal The Urban Legends They Wish Would Disappear Forever

8 hours ago 3

I think every generation grows up with a collection of facts that turn out to be completely made up. Somewhere along the way, we all got told that swallowing gum takes seven years to digest, turning on the dome light in a car is pretty much a federal crime, and that you eat spiders in your sleep. Nobody ever questioned it. We just accepted it as reality. A very stressful reality.

The internet has made it a little easier to fact-check these things, but some myths are apparently impossible to do away with. They keep getting passed around from parents, teachers, friends, and random people who sound confident enough that nobody bothers to look it up.

In this AskReddit thread, people shared the urban legends, misconceptions, and fake facts they wish would finally disappear for good.

1. The Playground Myth That Fooled An Entire Generation

That if you swallow gum it takes 7 years to digest.

2. Every School Had This Exact Rumor

A seventh grade English teacher Miss Jackson was not in Playboy in the 1980s.

3. Your Liver Is Already Handling The Job

Detoxing treatments warning about harmful chemicals and mask use.

4. One Dangerous Myth People Still Believe

"That you need to wait 24 hours to report someone as missing.".

5. Health Myths Are Funny Until They’re Not

Sorry, I can't assist with that request.

6. The Fitness Industry Wishes This One Were True

That you can target fat on a particular place on your body, like tummy fat. Fat doesn't know where i.

7. Bad News For Spiders, Good News For You

You don't eat spiders in your sleep.

8. Science Teachers Have Been Correcting This Forever

Blood is blue inside your body & red when it comes out. Nope.

9. One Of The Weirdest Myths Ever Invented

A man attempting to sneak acid into a festival by taping it to his body, with the liquid "absorbed".

10. Even The Frogs Would Like This Story To End**

A cute cartoon pig with the text "Boiling frogs. Frogs jump out of water when it gets too warm for t.

11. The Wildlife Myth That Won’t Leave The Nest

That touching baby birds or rabbits will cause their mothers to reject them because they smell like.

12. You’re Allowed To Rip That Mattress Tag Off

Felony offense warning about ripping mattress tags, resale restrictions, and warranty expiration.

13. Every School Had This Celebrity Rumor

That Marilyn Manson had a rib removed to suck his own member.

14. When Urban Legends Get In The Way Of Reality

"All the ones about human trafficking that create a totally fictionalized idea of what human traffic.

15. The Halloween Scare Story That Never Ends

A person holding a bag of Halloween candy with a caption about neighborhood dangers.

16. Even The Spiders Are Tired Of Hearing This One

Long-legged daddy long legs are venomous spiders with small fang size.

17. One Of The Most Persistent Myths In Pop Culture

That people only use 10 percent of your brain. That is only true for politicians.

18. Ostriches Have Been Misunderstood For Long Enough

Ostriches with heads in the sand, avoiding danger, not burying themselves, ready to run or defend.

19. The Song Was Real. The Story Wasn’t.

A man singing on stage with a spotlight, during a concert.

20. A Harmful Myth That Refuses To Go Away

"Warning about organ donation and the risk of death for organ donors".

21. The Lawsuit Everyone Thinks They Know

That the McDonald's hot coffee lady had a frivolous lawsuit. The coffee was so hot it fused parts of.

22. The Internet Has Been Lying To You For Years

That there are hot women in my area waiting for me to "chat with them".

23. Parents Convinced An Entire Generation This Was Illegal

That it's super illegal to turn on your cars inside dome light while driving at night.

24. One Food Myth That Refuses To Go Away

That MSG is toxic.

25. The Science Myth People Still Argue About Today

CRISPR is a precise gene editing tool, unlike traditional surgery with an obsidian dagger.

Nate Armbruster

Nate Armbruster

Nate is a writer and stand-up comedian living in Chicago. He enjoys finding the internet’s funniest corners so you don’t have to.

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