I've never really been all that into April Fools. April 1st is also my sister's birthday, so growing up that always took precedence. I'm not really one for planning elaborate pranks, and I really dislike being scared or startled. So overall, nothing to get excited about, but I appreciate other people's love for it.
Not to over-analyze this silly day, but in the last few years I think there has been a major shift in the way we prank people on April Fools. It's no longer about switching the salt and the sugar. As a function of the increasing involvement of the internet in every aspect of our lives, most pranks now take the form of fake announcements, in videos or news stories. Typically the announcement is something funny, unexpected, or too good to be true. There always seems to be a few people who fall for the hoax, while most just groan and move on, or share it in an attempt to trick their friends.
Maybe I am just far more involved in the internet than I was at this time last year, but April Fools seemed to be a really big deal this time around. It seems like every website had something up their sleeve, and many internet personalities did as well.
While I'm 100% for things that put a smile on people's faces, I found myself kind of bothered by what April Fools does to the internet. When browsing any of my normal sites on April 1st, there is hardly a single fact or announcement that I can take seriously. Even if all evidence points to it being true, I find myself unable to accept it until the appropriate time to reveal the potential joke has come and gone. And until I know for sure, I'm going to worry.
I'm not really sure why this causes me so much anxiety, especially when it's about very trivial things. I'd like to think I have enough critical thinking skills to not blindly swallow everything I read on internet the other 364 days of the year. And yet on April 1st, I feel an undeniable sense of betrayal.
Maybe this is to do with the Straight-A Complex I seem to have developed. That is what I'm calling the stress that is triggered when someone who grew up knowing all the answers, and being expected to know all the answers, reaches early adulthood and suddenly....doesn't know the answers anymore.
Not being able to quickly discern fact from fiction feels like a intellectual failure to my school-wired brain. And when you are raised with the belief that your academic success determines your self-worth, a failure like that makes you quite upset.
So I guess that's what it is?
This theory may or may not have any truth to it, but somehow piecing together this explanation has made me feel a lot better. At least now it is officially April 2nd, so hopefully, my anxiety can take it down a notch.
Goodnight, bloglings
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