Have you ever been deceived by rumors?
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Exaggeration, distortion, confusion and nonsense - these are the most common techniques employed by the internet rumor mill.
A report released today has named the top 10 internet rumors doing the rounds in Beijing - and identified those who are most likely to fall for the gossip.
According to the report:
Women are 25.1% more susceptible than men;
Juveniles and those aged over 60 are 32.9% and 33.8% more likely to be taken in;
People in rural areas are 28.7% more susceptible to rumors;
Graduates with a senior school degree or higher are 33.3% less likely to fall.
Here is the list of the top 10 refuted rumors online:
Seaweed is made of plastic
https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=q0376ybib23&width=500&height=375&auto=0
In February, a video was circulated online that claimed to prove seaweed was made of plastic on the basis that it smells bad and cannot be pulled apart easily.
The footage caused widespread panic about food security among the public. However, the rumor was quickly refuted, with the official explanation citing the fact that seaweed is rich in polysaccharides, which make it hard to chew and pull apart.
In addition, as a marine food product, there are certain substances in seaweed that can make it smell bad.
2
Dandelions can cure cancer
An article that appeared in December encouraged people to eat dandelions, as it claimed they could kill cancer cells and cure leukemia.
This rumor began with an exaggeration. It is true that in Canada, research has been done suggesting dandelion root extract can be used to kill cancer cells.
However, the test results have yet to be duplicated and there is no clinical evidence to show that dandelions cure cancer.
3
Fast-growing ducks are injected
with hormones
A number of articles have been doing the rounds lately, asserting that ducks sold cheaply on the street have been fed steroids and injected with hormones every two or three days.
This assertion lacks any evidence. Ducks naturally grow quickly and this process can be sped up if they are fed according to a scientific regimen. Besides, hormones are expensive and are just as likely to make a duck ill or kill it as help it grow.
The International Poultry Council even carried out detailed scientific arguments dispelling the hormone myths ☟
https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=n03961bcu0y&width=500&height=375&auto=0
4
Blue light makes you go blind
Since December, an article about people mysteriously going blind after several years was spread through WeChat.
The piece blamed blue light for harming people’s eyesight. However, this was later revealed to be a marketing campaign aimed at selling glasses and other products designed to filter out the blue end of the visible spectrum.
5
A deadly new virus is sweeping
across China
Over the past two years, a number of rumors have circulated about people supposedly dying from a virus known as "SK5". Yet according to public health bodies across the country, no such virus exists.
6
A rabid woman bit people in the street
From September to October, a video that claimed to show a woman who had been infected with rabies biting people on the street spread like wildfire through WeChat.
However, it later turned out that the clip was from a movie shoot, showing a woman who was supposed to be afraid of water, not infected with rabies.
7
Certain foods alleviate smog symptoms
During the latest bout of heavy smog to hit northern China, a number of lists appeared naming foods such as soybean milk, carrots and pears that can allegedly "clear the lungs" and counteract the harmful effects of smog. No food is yet known to medical science that has such properties.
8
Kidnappers will harvest your kid's organs
Rumors about people abducting children to sell their organs are spread online frequently. Yet from a medical standpoint, it would be almost impossible to sell children's organs as a close match is needed to successfully carry out a transplant.
9
Vaccines are bad for you
On February 27, an official-looking news release was circulated listing the disadvantages of vaccines and appealing for parents not to vaccinate their children.
This statement is false as, according to the majority of medical specialists, vaccines are not dangerous. In fact, from 1990 to 2016, more than 100 million children were vaccinated worldwide.
10
Covered pots of boiling water will
poison your food
Rumor attributed to a Professor Qi of Xuanwu Hospital in Beijing claimed that a boiling pot of water must never be covered, else the chlorine contained within will poison the food being cooked.
In response, Xuanwu Hospital released a statement saying that no one named Qi worked there. In addition, the amount of chlorine in Beijing tap water is within national standards and is not a risk to people’s health, according to authorities.
Rumors are hard to avoid in our day-to-day lives.
The best defense against falsehoods is critical thinking, which we should all aim to improve rather than blindly putting our trust in hearsay.
Have you ever heard any bizarre rumors we missed off this list?
What do you think about all this gossip and speculation? Share your comments with us!
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