While fake news and misinformation are frowned upon throughout the rest of the year, April Fools’ Day marks the one time when brands and news outlets are free to share humorous and misleading prank posts on social media.
If you don’t have your wits about on April 1, or indeed several days afterwards these days as older posts may appear in our social media feeds, you could find yourself being fooled by a fake product launch or big new announcement.
Be wary of any new product launches
One of the biggest ways companies like to try and fool people these days is through fake product launches.
For example, last year, Tic Tac and Nutella partnered up for a fake Nutella-flavored Tic Tac launch, Ocean Spray debuted some Cranberry Milk and Subaru launched a fake Granola range in packaging made from ‘good vibes.’
If your favorite brand suddenly announces a product that seems too good to be true on April 1, then it almost certainly is.
Watch out for any big announcements
Again, this could come from major brands but also creators, influencers and even friends, who could be planning to share a fake announcement on social media as a prank.
Treat any such posts with the skepticism they deserve.
One example that has stuck with this writer since 2017 was when Silverstone Circuit, the home of the British Formula One Grand Prix announced that it would be running that year’s race the opposite direction around the track.
The video they posted was incredibly convincing, even featuring several notable motorsport figures, until it started discussing ‘left-handed tarmac’ and ‘left-handed flags’ for the race marshalls.
Check the date
As posts can hang around social media feeds for a few days, or even weeks, after they were initially uploaded, it is vital to check the date of any you find suspicious.
If you notice that an Instagram post you’re finding hard to believe was published on April 1, you can be sure that it was an April Fools’ prank.
Don’t react immediately
If you come across a post, or are sent something by a friend, that you suspect could be a prank, give yourself a moment to do some research.
It’s amazing what a quick Google can accomplish if you’re faced with a potentially misleading post.
Don’t take things too seriously
At the end of the day, April Fools’ Day is designed to be a fun-filled day of pranks.
And while it may be embarrassing to fall for a prank, the best thing you can do is laugh it off and appreciate the effort that has been made to fool you – and take notes for next year so you can avoid the same mistakes.
