I believe - I do not believe: the legend of the mined iPhone is not so far from reality

Russian anthropologist Alexandra Arkhipova , as part of another study, turned to another urban legend about a special operation, which, according to her, ranks second in popularity in the Russian-language media and social networks. According to Arkhipova, she has already collected 32,432 reposts in open social media, not counting messages in instant messengers.

At first, for obvious reasons, this legend gained popularity in the regions bordering Ukraine, and now it is already spreading throughout the country. For the first time, the message “Yesterday my arm was torn off in Kursk by a man who picked up an iPhone on the street” appeared back in March.

Basically, according to the observations of the scientist, they are shared by women (76%), and 40% of them are over 60 years old). In this regard, Arkhipova asks her readers to inform her of received warnings of this kind by asking the person who sent them a few questions:

- Where did they find out about this mined iPhone?

Why were they sent?

- Does the sender himself believe in the veracity of his message?

- Did he read it himself to the end?

And the readers of Arkhipova joyfully responded: yes, we are getting and getting a lot!

- Just today my mother received such a horror story from a neighbor. No comment, just like that. Mom noted that "this aunt always sends me all sorts of rubbish." Territorially - Ulyanovsk region.

- Oh, it arrived in the house chat in the evening, but with a different picture. Answer: "felt it necessary to share."

- Yesterday a friend in a work chat was sent this.

- An elderly, strongly churched single woman sent it to me. She used to send stuff about poisoned masks and the like.

My mom sent me yesterday. He says a friend from Anapa sent.

- Only today one fool told me this in all seriousness.

- Came today in a personal trainer of the child. She was frightened, took it absolutely seriously, quickly “warned” me. She is 70 years old. Moscow. Likes conspiracy theories.

- In the store there is a cashier for about 40 years and an elderly woman, who looks like a supply manager. Talk about these warnings. Elder: we must at least warn the children. Youngest: here are the creatures, so that they are all killed ...

It should be added that such legends have been circulating around the country for a very long time, and are only slightly modified to fit modern realities. Arkhipova's readers remind:

- This is a very old legend, I remember that my grandmother frightened me during the first Chechen war, there were (almost) no telephones then, so a can of cola appeared in the story.

- Oh, I remember this legend from childhood! She was told when I was in elementary school (my first class was 1979, the year the Soviet wars entered Afghanistan). Then it was about the fact that the Americans scattered mined fountain pens and toys in Afghanistan itself.

- My mother told me about mined toys back in the 60s.

- In our time, chewing gum was poisoned or stuffed with broken glass or blades.

- And needles with syphilis and AIDS in the seat handles in the cinema ....

- As a child (90s), we had fun stepping on empty cigarette packs in a big way, and so our parents immediately banned under the pretext of allegedly possibly hidden explosive devices, only recently I realized that it was an urban legend, but then I believed (in including our parents), considering, apparently, what scale the showdowns of competitors acquired, at least in the news.

- We were told this legend in elementary school, both about the passport and about toys. In connection with Beslan, it became more active then. At the same time, the ownerless packages were told not to touch and not to leave their own, so that others would not compose something .

However, for all that, it should be noted that every legend has quite real grounds. One of Arkhipova's readers recalls this simple fact:

“My young man went to Donetsk a few years ago, lived 6 km from the battle line. He gave dance master classes, and here is one of those who came to him - a guy who picked up a marker on the street and brought it home.

He opened it - his wrist was torn off and his chest got it. The only thing that saved him was that he was at home and was able to call his neighbors. Dancing without a hand now.

The local guys said that this is a common practice, they hide explosives in toys, all sorts of attractive things. Well, then who cares.

It is not a fact that now this is happening in such quantities and in all regions, especially far from hostilities, but globally this practice exists, and it is better to be careful than without a hand.

Of course, I am silent about the emotional entourage and assumptions about who is doing all this, otherwise they will be imprisoned ... "

Forewarned is forearmed.