On June 2 2022, an Imgur account shared a screenshot of a Facebook post which purportedly showed a Welsh road sign with an amusing translation: The screenshot was undated; a status update above a photograph of a street sign in English and Welsh read:
Publication: viral content
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Saturn as Captured from a Backyard Telescope’
On May 28 2022, a Facebook user shared an image captioned, “Saturn as seen from a backyard telescope” to the large public group “Physics and Astronomy.” Commenters on the post seemed to believe the sharer captured the image pers
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘US Median Rent to Reach $2000’ in 2022
Amid an ongoing national discourse around average wages and a skyrocketing cost of living, a popular May 31 2022 tweet claiming that the median rent in the United States reached $2000 also spread in threads on Reddit and Imgur as part of a broader disc
Truth or Fiction?→ Tikrit Shoe Statue
On May 30 2022, a Reddit user shared a photograph which purportedly showed a “shoe monument” in Tikrit, Iraq, commemorating an incident during which an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at former U.S. President George W. Bush during a press
Truth or Fiction?→ Leading Cause of Death in Children Since 2020
On May 25 2022, ongoing discussions and discourse about the devastating Uvalde, Texas school shooting included a circulating statistic — that as of 2020, the leading cause of death in children was gun related: The leading cause of death among
Truth or Fiction?→ ’10 Weeks of Wheat’ in Global Reserves?
On May 22 2022, popular posts to r/worldnews and elsewhere carried an alarming claim that only ten weeks of wheat remained in global supply reserves — mostly, but not entirely, because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: World has
Truth or Fiction?→ Denmark Versus Netherlands Football Match, Both Teams Wear Ukraine Jerseys
On May 18 2022, an Imgur user shared a post that purportedly depicted a football match between teams from Denmark and the Netherlands — with both sides in “Ukraine” jerseys. The post was titled “Denmark plays with Netherlands
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘192 Republicans Voted Against’ Baby Formula Shortage Funding?
On May 18 and 19 2022, a number of posts on Imgur and Twitter asserted that “192 Republicans” voted against funding to address an ongoing baby formula shortage: Why did 192 Republicans vote against a $28 million emergency fund to address
Truth or Fiction?→ Wisconsin ‘Child Labor Laws’ Meme
On May 8 2022, the Twitter account @YourAnonNews (and an Imgur account) shared a meme about Wisconsin child labor law changes to combat a “labor shortage”: pic.twitter.com/YSRz865fm3 — Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) May 8, 2022 On M
Truth or Fiction?→ Russian Ambassador to Poland Covered in Red Paint?
On May 9 2022, three Imgur posts purportedly showed Russia’s ambassador to Poland after an incident in Warsaw in which protesters threw red paint at him: One of the three posts linked to a tweet featuring video of the purported protest in Warsa
Truth or Fiction?→ Was the Original Roe v. Wade Decision Leaked?
On May 5 2022, popular posts claimed that the “original Roe v. Wade decision was leaked, too,” addressing assertions that the May 2022 leak of a Supreme Court draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was “unprecedented”: Fact-ch
Truth or Fiction?→ What Percent of Americans Believe Abortion Should Be Illegal?
On May 4 2022, a Reddit user shared a chart to r/dataisbeautiful amid ongoing, extremely fraught discourse about a leaked Supreme Court decision that aims to overturn Roe v. Wade: [OC] The Percent of Americans Who Believe Abortion Should Be
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Domestic Supply of Infants’
On May 4 2022, an Imgur user shared a post titled “Domestic Supply of Infants,” which contained a screengrab of a footnote to a recently leaked Supreme Court draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade: The blurry image of the footnote [46] rea
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Sorry I Stole Your Car … Drove to Vinnytsia’ Ukraine
On May 2 2022, an Imgur user shared a photograph of a vehicle and a strangely heartwarming story about an individual apologizing because they “stole” a car — only to learn that the owner had left the keys in the ignition to help other
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘ … 4/25/1886: The New York Times Called the Eight-Hour Workday Movement “Un-American”‘
On May 2 2022, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of a tweet which claimed that on April 25 1886, the New York Times called the eight-hour workday movement “un-American,” and “blamed the ‘labor disturbances’ on ‘for
Truth or Fiction?→ Ulta Kate Spade Email Controversy
On May 2 2022, myriad social media accounts posted about an unfortunate Ulta/Kate Spade promotion, with horrified postings to Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit about a poorly-conceived email: Should they have thought before sending out an email
Truth or Fiction?→ Not Just Freshii: U.S. Restaurant Chains Have Tested Outsourcing Cashiers for Years
While it quickly attracted attention online in April 2022, the introduction of “Virtual cashiers” in a string of grocery stores in Canada is only the latest iteration of companies testing the idea of outsourcing customer-service functions.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘You Remember The Real America if You Can Remember…’
On April 28 2022, the Facebook page “Vagina Devil Magic” shared an image of a “You Remember the Real America” handbill, dated June 1980 and featuring eerily familiar political sentiments — 42 years later. The text on the f
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Moscow Summons Croatian Military Attaché to Hand in a Protest Note … He Simply Refuses to Take it. Legend’
On April 28 2022, an Imgur user shared a meme, purportedly showing a Croatian attaché in the act of refusing a note in an act of protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: A photograph at the bottom of the image showed two men and one woman.
Truth or Fiction?→ Jim Carrey ‘Solitude is Dangerous’ Quote
On April 26 2022, an Imgur user shared a meme that attributed a quote to actor Jim Carrey about “solitude” being “addictive”: Underneath a photograph of Carrey, text read: “Solitude is dangerous. It’s very addictive. It be
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The Amount Elon Musk Just Paid for Twitter ($44 Billion) is Nearly Equal to Biden’s Proposed Climate Budget ($44.9 Billion)’
On April 27 2022, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of a viral tweet claiming the amount of money Elon Musk would purportedly pay in order to acquire Twitter was nearly equal to funds allocated in the Biden administration’s proposed climate budge
Truth or Fiction?→ Brooklyn Public Library Grants Teens Across America Access
On April 24 2022, Facebook page “The Other 98%” shared another page’s Twitter screenshot from @Goodable, in a post about the Brooklyn Public Library purportedly granting teenaged readers access to uncensored material: The Brooklyn
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This is What a Dial Up Modem Connection Looks Like on the Spectrogram (DTMF Handshake and Call)
On April 21 2022, an Imgur account shared video of what was apparently a visual representation of “what a dial up modem connection looks like on the spectrogram,” a post that evoked nostalgia for those who populated the early internet: Thi
Truth or Fiction?→ Newsmax ‘Black Conservatives’ Screenshot
On April 20 2022, a purported Newsmax “Black conservatives” Twitter screenshot circulated on Imgur and Reddit: TIL Ben is considered to be a traitor from benshapiro One of the Reddit iterations appeared on r/ToiletP
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Minnesota Man Arrested for Death Party’
On April 19 2022, Imgur power user OctopussSevenTwo shared a purported news screenshot, which reported that a Minnesota man had been charged for throwing a “death party” in honor of his ailing wife. That same day, a user shared a slightly d
Truth or Fiction?→ No, a Man Wasn’t Awarded $450K Over an ‘Unwanted Birthday Party’
On April 18 2022, a significant part of online discussions focused on a man who was purportedly awarded $450,000 for an “unwanted birthday party.” An April 16 2022 tweet by @SaycheeseDGTL summarized the claim, claiming that a Kentucky man s
Truth or Fiction?→ AriZona Iced Tea Inflation Meme
On April 18 2022, a popular Facebook post from “The Other 98%,” concerning AriZona Iced Tea’s unchanging price tag (USD$0.99) and ongoing discourse regarding inflation, was shared to Imgur: Most of the meme was text-based, but it f
Truth or Fiction?→ Gilbert Gottfried Trump is Like ‘Hitler Without the Warmth’ Quote
On April 14 2022, an Imgur account shared a quote meme attributed recently deceased comedian Gilbert Gottfried, comparing former U.S. President Donald Trump to “Hitler without the warmth”: That post wasn’t the only piece of Trump-re
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the Damaged Russian Warship Moskva the ‘Snake Island’ Ship?
On April 14 2022, several Imgur posts referenced the Russian warship Moskva — typically in conversations related to an earlier incident on Snake Island and discussions around conflicting claims about whether it “sank” after coming und
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘It’s Day 47: Ukraine Has Now Lasted Longer Than France Did in World War II’
On April 13 2022, a Reddit screenshot suggesting that Ukraine “lasted longer than France did in World War II,” in terms of how long the European country has been resisting Russia’s invasion, made its way across platforms: That post
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The Landlord’s Game’ and Monopoly’s Origins
On April 4 2022, a Facebook user shared an image and a post about The Landlord’s Game, on which popular board game Monopoly was purportedly based. Alongside two images of The Landlord’s Game, the author explained similarities and differen
Truth or Fiction?→ Thurgood Marshall Confirmation Vote vs. Ketanji Brown Jackson
On April 7 2022, the Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. CNN reported on the historic confirmation: The Senate confirmed President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Thursday [A[ril 7 2022] in a hi
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Lithuania Has Imposed an Inexpensive Sanction on Russia,’ Ukrainian Heroes Street
On April 5 2022, a screenshot of a Facebook post circulated on various platforms, claiming that Lithuania had imposed “an inexpensive sanction on Russia” by renaming a road the “Street of Ukrainian Heroes”: Although the screens
Truth or Fiction?→ DirecTV Drops One America News Network From its Lineup
On April 5 2022, an Imgur user shared a post saying, “DirecTv dropped OAN today!” — alongside an image of OAN’s logo. On Twitter, several prominent accounts made similar claims: OAN has officially been booted from DirecTV’s
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Hermit Crabs Line Up to Exchange Shells?
On April 2 2022, Twitter user @cottoncandaddy stated they just learned “hermit crabs who need new shells” will “gather … and trade shells”: I just learned that if a hermit crab finds a new shell that is too big it will w
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘1970 and 2022 Are as Far Apart as 1970 and 1918 … I’m Just Going to Need a Minute’
In early 2022, social media posts claiming “1970 and 2022 are as far apart as 1970 and 1918” circulated on Facebook and Twitter. Typically, the posts appeared as status update images, and variations read: “I was just reminded that 197
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘NASA Has Outdone Themselves, This Is an Image of the Entire Observable Universe’
On March 19 2022, a Facebook user shared what looked like a cropped Twitter screenshot, depicting a purported NASA image of the “entire observable universe”: Text on the “night mode” screenshot read: NASA has outdone themselves
Truth or Fiction?→ Applebee’s Gas Prices Email
On March 23 2022, Twitter user Rob Gill (@vote4robgill) shared images of a purported internal Applebee’s “gas prices” email — which included commentary about a spike in gas prices enabling Applebee’s management to sharply
Truth or Fiction?→ Pembroke Pines ‘Don’t Say Gay’ School Walkout
On March 22 2022, Twitter user @diabeyonce shared a purported video showing high school students conducting a protest walkout against Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill: i am in full blown tears dude pic.twitter.com
Truth or Fiction?→ Hugh Thompson and the My Lai Massacre
In mid-March 2022, posts about a warrant officer named Hugh Thompson and his role in the My Lai massacre circulated on social media, including a tweet describing that time period as the 50-year anniversary of that incident: Today is the 50th annivers