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    Are you serious? Fooling around on April Fool's Day 2018

    The rise of fake news means today's social media bunch are more sceptical than ever before, but did you fall for these April Fool's headlines?
    Are you serious? Fooling around on April Fool's Day 2018
    © – 123RF.com

    April Fool’s Day jokes stretch as far back as the 1500s, but technological advancements mean you probably saw more of them than ever before this weekend, and even played a part in sharing them yourself with the click of that handy ‘share’ or retweet button. Or not, as doing so could implicate you in spreading fake news.

    Many brands took that scepticism to heart and pointed out they were well aware of the fact that it was 1 April when sharing content, making an effort to stop the spin of false stories. Others reminded the not-so-savvy that joking about pregnancy and death is just not funny.

    Those that did post dodgy stories made sure they were quite ridiculous and at the very least added a disclaimer at the end of their articles, making the date clear.

    Were you the fool in 2018?

    This year saw a broad range of those pranks pop up, with just enough of a kernel of truth to them that many got to thinking, ‘Wait, maybe it’s true’. After all, it is the day VAT officially increased from 14% to 15% in SA. They covered everything from new shock-style resignations and appointments to a new pet tax and questionable food flavours being suddenly discontinued:

    Are April Fool’s Day pranks still fun for you or an outdated activity that leaves you rolling your eyes? Let us know which is your favourite in the comment section below.

    About Leigh Andrews

    Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
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