AOL frightening users about Friday the 13th!

Tresjolie9

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I'm an AOL user, pouts in shame. Today as part of their welcome menu, they put up a quiz about fear of Friday the 13th at reference.aol.com/quizzes/fear-of-friday-the-13th and how loads of hogwash might really be true.

Especially disturbing was an answer to a question about how a "Study in the British medical journal," concluded that the best thing to do on Friday the 13th was to "stay home." Was there ever a study like this in the British Medical Journal?

Other places too are posting about historical evidence, and bad luck on this day, need some skeptics to explain how it is just a bunch of hogwash.
 
I did read an article once (Norwegian newspaper, so no sourcing) on how the ER room would always get more cases on this day.

Of course, what this article actually did mention was one pretty good reason for this: People expect accidents to happen, so they do not act normally. It may be just a millimeter's difference on how the hand moves as you carry a kettle with hot potatoes, but that's often enough.

It's like the difference between walking on a narrow plank based on the ground, and one based 20 meters height in the air. It's technically equally difficult, but people are much more -aware- of the narrowness of the plank in the latter case, so that they are unable to move their body with the natural flow. And when your body doesn't move like it's gotten used to, accidents will happen more often.

So there you pretty much have it: A nocebo effect, a self-fulfilling prophecy, where people's stupidity in thinking about this day will make them more accident-prone, thus reinforcing the superstition.

And let's not forget the parts about people forgetting the day it happened on -unless- it happened in Friday the 13th, at which they'll suddenly keep remembering it as if it is significant. That too plays a part here.
 
Tresjolie9 said:
I'm an AOL user, pouts in shame. Today as part of their welcome menu, they put up a quiz about fear of Friday the 13th at reference.aol.com/quizzes/fear-of-friday-the-13th and how loads of hogwash might really be true.

Especially disturbing was an answer to a question about how a "Study in the British medical journal," concluded that the best thing to do on Friday the 13th was to "stay home." Was there ever a study like this in the British Medical Journal?

Other places too are posting about historical evidence, and bad luck on this day, need some skeptics to explain how it is just a bunch of hogwash.
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Welcome to the forum!
Well, most accidents occur in the home, so I would think that staying at home on Friday the 13th would be the worst thing you could do ;)

Yes, a study was carried out which showed that transport accidents where 52% more likely on Friday the 13th than Friday the 6Th of any given month.
A discussion of the paper (but not the paper unfortunately) is given here.
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/cont...INDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT
 
So there you pretty much have it: A nocebo effect, a self-fulfilling prophecy, where people's stupidity in thinking about this day will make them more accident-prone, thus reinforcing the superstition.

And let's not forget the parts about people forgetting the day it happened on -unless- it happened in Friday the 13th, at which they'll suddenly keep remembering it as if it is significant. That too plays a part here.
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You do make some very excellent points, about the nocebo effect. Maybe that is why there tend to be more car accidents, people expect to get into them because of what day it is.


I recommend living somewhere else, then.
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I try, but the pubs close.
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Pubs close here, and I the folks in the train stations and airports, aren't too keen on people living there! Hmm, there is always moving into the office
 
ha, i headed over to wikipedia to see what they said about the origins. well one funny thing is the statement that:

"Strangely, there is evidence to suggest that Friday the 13th is actually unlucky."

first of all, to accept this, you have to accept the concept of "luck." but, that aside, they follow it up with:

"Psychologists have found that some people are especially likely to have accidents or fall ill on Friday the 13th[citation needed]."

notice the [citation needed] link. um, okay. in other words, that statement is useless right now.

but even then they go on to say how people tend to expect something bad to happen so it does...as if that supports the "bad luck" argument. how lame
 
brodski said:
Welcome to the forum!
Well, most accidents occur in the home,
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Commented in the full awareness that brodski only meant that as a humourous passing remark, but knowing that people will say this in all seriousness:

You know, we've all seen this one. I've heard about it since I was a kid. However, what I remember about this is that it seems like such a non-claim. Because, surprise, surprise, we actually spend most of our lives home. And surprise, surprise, the amount of time we spend at home correlates pretty well with how many accidents we get at home. Who'd have thought, eh?
 
Hawk one said:
Commented in the full awareness that brodski only meant that as a humourous passing remark, but knowing that people will say this in all seriousness:

You know, we've all seen this one. I've heard about it since I was a kid. However, what I remember about this is that it seems like such a non-claim. Because, surprise, surprise, we actually spend most of our lives home. And surprise, surprise, the amount of time we spend at home correlates pretty well with how many accidents we get at home. Who'd have thought, eh?
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I used to get SO MAD at my history books that would point out, with great significance, that MORE AMERICANS died in the Civil War than in any other war the U.S. has fought in.

And at one job I had, the regular payday was every two weeks on Friday. The company actually announced that so many people had asked to get their checks early that they were moving payday to Thursday.

:boggled:
 
Elizabeth I said:
I used to get SO MAD at my history books that would point out, with great significance, that MORE AMERICANS died in the Civil War than in any other war the U.S. has fought in.
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But at least no Americans died in the revolutionary war. ;)
 
I welcome this from AOL.
The more gullible people that stay home, the faster, safer my commute home will be. :D
 
I find Friday the 13th to be particularly lucky for me. According to those theories about how woo is affected by mental states apparently it is because all the bad luck is going to the people who believe in it, so I get to have the leftover good luck.

Or maybe it's just that I only pay attention to my luck when things are supposed to be unlucky...
 
On the radio here at work they've been making fun of it all day. So did the local news team. The general feeling here is that Friday the 13th is a joke that no one takes seriously anymore. At least some superstitions seems to be dying.

Of course, I was married on Friday the 13th and now, after 20 years I'm getting a divorce. It's true!
 
I'm feeling quite ill today. Stuffy nose, sore throat and all that.

It's true.

Must be something to this Friday the 13th stuff after all.

Of course, I've had this cold for 2 days now....
 
Elizabeth I said:
I used to get SO MAD at my history books that would point out, with great significance, that MORE AMERICANS died in the Civil War than in any other war the U.S. has fought in.
Click to expand...

I had teachers who harped on that in grade school (I used to live in WV where if you weren't obsessed with the Civil War you were going to hell). They couched it in confusing terms though: "The Civil War was the bloodiest war we were ever in."
 
I was born on Friday 13th. So, I should be extremely unlucky. So far nothing bad has happ...
 
Elizabeth I said:
I used to get SO MAD at my history books that would point out, with great significance, that MORE AMERICANS died in the Civil War than in any other war the U.S. has fought in.

And at one job I had, the regular payday was every two weeks on Friday. The company actually announced that so many people had asked to get their checks early that they were moving payday to Thursday.

:boggled:
Click to expand...
US Gov. did that very thing one year - in the other direction. Pay day was moved from last day of the month to first day of the month. For the last fiscal quarter of that year, the payroll expense just disappeared - to reappear in the first quarter of the next fiscal year.:boggled:
 
In France Friday 13th is considrered lucky.

Lotto ticket sales are much hight on Friday 13th
 
Last week's Friday the 13th was pretty good to me.

Enjoyed an awesome black metal concert.

Then was able to hail a passing taxi when lots of people were trying to call one. And it was the company with the cheapest prices to boot.

Then went to a bar where there were so many people that glasses ran out and drinks were served in plastic cups, but I was able to get a nice big glass.

Then kissed a bit with a gorgeous girl.

And overall, had a very good time.
 
Pieces like that are usually for fun or human interest. I am sure the fact checking on such pieces is very low.

It's fluff journalism, at best.
 
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