Some people are so desperate for attention on social media that they are willing to concoct the most ridiculous internet hoaxes. After Halloween many people have been sharing images of candy and food with razor blades in them. One unnamed Facebook user from Ventura, California published a post with a picture of a type candy item with a razor blade in side that says “WARNING – Found in Ventura tonight. Make sure you check all your kids candy.” However, the image shared is actually a pastry similar to McDonald’s apple pie.
When other Facebook users see a post like the one that claims razor blades were found in candy in Ventura they might expect it to be real. They will like the post, share the post, and comment on the post, which essentially causes the post to go viral or gain attention. This is exactly what the prankster wants. The people who create these faux posts simply want attention. They want their hoax to go viral. They want to trick as many people as they can at the other person’s expense because they generally have little guilt or remorse about hurting others.
There are many reasons why people want this type of attention. Many of them have behavior disorders such as conduct disorder or something similar. Children with conduct disorder are irritable, have low self-esteem, and tend to throw frequent temper tantrums. Some may abuse drugs and alcohol. Children with conduct disorder often are unable to appreciate how their behavior can hurt others.
Several studies suggest that defects and injuries to certain areas of the brain can lead to these types of behavior disorders. Conduct disorder has been linked to particular brain regions involved in regulating behavior, impulse control, and emotion. Many children and teens with conduct disorder also have other mental illnesses, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disorders, depression, substance abuse, or an anxiety disorder, which may contribute to the symptoms of conduct disorder.
Low socioeconomic status and not being accepted by their peers also factor into the development of behavior disorder. Behavior disorders are essentially the result of genetics, biology, environment, social status, and more.
Behavior disorders are linked to people who start internet hoaxes, especially hoaxes that attempt to cause FUD, or fear, anxiety, and shock. It’s a form of a prank where the culprit cannot regulate their impulses and don’t understand that their prank can harm others.
Other people perform these type of internet hoaxes in order to promote online content and cost-per-click advertisements. Some of the posts published on social media sites such as Facebook often contain links to third-party satire publications with embedded advertisements.
In conclusion, if you see a post on Facebook that claims razor blades were found in candy this season ignore it because chances are is that it is not true. We have been able to debunk most of the razor blade in candy hoaxes by performing a reverse image search on some of the images. Most of the images have been shared all over the web – and some are years old!
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