8 Funniest Urban Myths People Actually Believe

An “urban myth” is defined in the dictionary as “a humorous or horrific story or piece of information circulated as though true, especially one purporting to involve someone vaguely related or known to the teller.”

The tales can be hilarious or frightening. Usually the person telling you the urban myth has some kind of connection to who it happened to. Like it was their sisters, best friends, brothers, cousin’s friend or something tenuous like that. There’s always “that story” that everyone seems to know as well. Now these myths can be funny or scary but what makes them all funny is that we always believe them. Maybe they could or did actually happen once… who knows. But for the most of us, they will always remain urban myths.

1. Chain mail

The absolute OG spreader and causer of urban myths. Send this on for luck. Send this on or this scary ghost will visit you tonight. Send this on or you will never find love. And so on… these were definitely one way we all wasted our top up credit as tweens. Scarily convincing at times.

2. The clown

So, we had that weird clown phase, does anyone know what that was even about? Anyways… this myth was the one about the man that hid in the stack of baby’s toys dressed as a clown toy. Camouflaged to the eye of the baby sitter. Until dun dun duun the police call about a wanted man posing as a clown. And now the clown has disappeared from the baby’s room… This was one urban myth that put us all off babysitting for life.

3. Don’t swing on your chair!

This urban myth is one that is loved to be pulled out by teachers. “Don’t swing on your chair, a boy in my class once broke his spine!” I mean I guess this myth is to keep us safe but still… how did every teacher have a kid that broke their spine!?

4. Bloody Mary

This was one often brought out on school trips at places like PGL. Ahh the memories. Who would dare to whisper her name enough times in front of the mirror. This urban myth was one definite way to have a group of school kids screaming in the middle of the night.

5. If the wind changes your face will stay that way

Pulling rude or funny faces at your siblings was usually followed by this line. A funny way to exert control over your kids. There was always an example your mum could give of a kid with crossed eyes that didn’t listen to their mum. Then the wind changed, trapping them forever! You knew it was ridiculous… but you still weren’t quite sure if they weren’t joking.

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6. Square eyes

Sitting too close to the TV will make your eyes go square! This one was so hard to justify against for some reason, even though it was clearly ridiculous.

7. Carrots and the dark

Eat alllll your carrots and it’ll help you see better in the dark. I remember eating my tea, going to bed and straining my eyes in the dark. Testing if my daily carrot intake had worked yet. A funny urban myth and one that convinces you to eat your veggies. Carrots are still one of my favourites.

8. Elvis isn’t dead

A great urban myth is that some of the musical greats like Elvis, Michael Jackson, even now Whitney Houston, are all actually shacked up together living the high life in secret. It is really wishful thinking and we pray for their return I guess… in the mean time we will just entertain ourselves with conspiracy theories about them on YouTube.