Urban Legend

An urban legend, sometimes called a modern legend or urban myth, is a form of folklore made up of unusual, humorous or frightening stories that circulate as if true even though they are typically unverified or apocryphal. These stories spread by word of mouth, on social media, or through news like sources, and usually turn on something shocking, mysterious or cautionary, such as a disappearance or a strange object or presence. An urban legend can entertain while also confirming a community's moral standards, reflecting its prejudices, or helping people make sense of a shared anxiety. Once told mainly around a campfire or at a gathering, such stories are now spread through any medium, including newspapers, mobile news apps, email and especially social media, and the same legend often survives for decades with only its time period or regional details changed while its underlying lesson stays the same.