How to Tell if a Story is an Urban Legend

Aided by the Internet, urban legends are now spread within seconds instead of generations. However, there are a few easy ways to tell if what you're hearing is true or maybe just a new take on an old legend.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet
• Knowledge of pop culture
• Familiarness with the most common urban legends
• A non-gullible personality

1. Evaluate whether the anecdote you just heard sounds vaguely familiar.

2. Take note of the main characters in the story. Do they have identities? Are they friends of friends?

3. Take note of whether you remember any of the details of the story from the news. Most urban legends are so sensational that they would be all over the news if they actually happened.

4. Examine the person who is tell the story and their credibility. Are they known for telling tall tales? Are they very gullible? Do they never, ever lie? Would they tell you a story that they didn't know was 100% true?

5. Visit Snopes.com, a nearly exhaustive database of urban legends, to see if any information comes up about the story. Note: they log both urban legends and true stories that just sound like urban legends.

6. Ask the person telling the story where she heard it from and whether she trusts her source.

7. Type the terms into Google News to see if any hard details about the story emerge.

Resources

• Snopes.com
• About.com: Urban Legends