30 Times People Thought They Could Trick Everyone But Got Nominated For “Didn’t Happen Of The Year Awards” Instead
Interview
Let’s face it—people lie. Sometimes, they’re able to get away with it quite easily, too. But when they start spreading exaggerated stories on social media, the truth eventually comes out. After all, there’s always someone ready to call them out on their BS.
Enter the Didn’t Happen to the Year Awards (DHOTYA), a Twitter account that exposes and shames the most conspicuous lies shared on the internet. Each year, the most unbelievable tall tales are picked out and pitted against each other, with their 339K followers voting for the biggest liars on social media.
From kids having intellectual moments on politics to people receiving a standing ovation after announcing their opinion, we have collected some of the best posts this account has to offer. Continue scrolling, upvote the finest “didn’t happen” incidents, and share your thoughts in the comments below!
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When you want everyone to know that you're an incel without saying that you're an incel.
Bored Panda reached out to Andrew Selepak, Ph.D., a program coordinator of Master’s in Social Media and a lecturer at the University of Florida, to learn more about why people tell such far-fetched stories online. “Most individuals, brands, and influencers don’t really lie on social media, but they tend to exaggerate,” he told us.
“Everyone engages in self-image manipulation on social media. We highlight and promote our best moments while leaving out the bad or mundane,” Selepak added. “But for the individual user, scrolling through their timeline, it appears that everyone is always doing something exciting whether it is [going] on vacation, getting engaged, or having a child.”
Selepak explained that social media allows more people to see the lies and exaggerations others post. “Before social media, a person could tell a lie to another and then the exact opposite lie to someone else, and it is possible no one would know. But you cannot do this on social media because everyone you know finds out at once.”
“If anything, social media may actually limit the amount of outright lying people do anymore because anything they say or post can be refuted by any and all of their followers rather than by one person,” the lecturer said. “Instead, we may perceive people are lying more, not because more lying is occurring on social media, but because we can monitor potential lies from hundreds if not thousands of people at once.”
He noted that the great thing about having the internet in our hands is that collectively, we can expose lies and those who spread them more than ever before. When it comes to spotting these dishonest posts, Selepak mentioned there are two different types: lies and exaggerations.
When it comes to the latter one, most of us tend to blow up the facts on social media: “We post about a meal at a restaurant to show people we are out and take pictures of the food framing it in such a way to make it look more appetizing, or a photo of the restaurant itself to make it look fancier than it is.”
“We could also post to social media about a job promotion and how excited we are while leaving out that we will be working longer hours and have to spend more time away from friends and family,” he continued. “Exaggerations on social media, for the most part, are harmless and act as life updates to our friends and followers.”
"cause autism, cancer and increase the risk of homosexuality" oh shut the f**k up
the crap they come out with what's next they can make you grow extra arms
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I feel cheated. Got both vaccination shots and I'm not even a tiny bit homosexual. False promises.
I already got three and still heterosexual! I've also been cheated :)
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IKR???!!! Like, my RiSk oF HoMoSeCtUaLLiTy didn't happen because of a vaccine, it happened from the first time I saw Zendaya! 😅🏳️🌈
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"increase the risk of homosexuality." If that was true I would be the most lesbian lesbian alive probably. Good lord I hate people.
I got all my vaccines and I'm still not a lesbian. I'm bisexual!
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I like the 'risk of homosexuality' part that was thrown in randomly. Insanity aside, I like that homosexuality is ranked with afflictions like cancer. And why do people constantly have to make their children out to be some kind of bigoted savants? This is not the first time I've seen something like this. It's always some 5 year old reciting poetry and s**t. Your 2 year old is fascinated by his own feet and shiny objects...stop creating some crazy narrative for them defending YOUR choice because you can't get anyone else to, and because they're the only ones you can control.
And the fact that Autism is ranked with cancer… 🤦♀️ see Sia, this is why we need to be responsible as to how we portray autism in media - because of tools like OP.
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While this story, as a whole, is stupid, this part can be true. My daughter is two right now. Children that age are perfectly capable of being proud. They are proud when they accomplish a difficult task like putting on their own socks or when they make something with their own hands, like their own Christmas cookies.
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"Increase the risk of homosexuality" hahahahahahaha. Oh man...and these are the breeders. Perfect. Where's that goddamned comet?
My bisexuality wasn't caused by vaccines. It was caused by the best singer and prettiest person in my church choir three years ago.
I’d rather be autistic, queer, healthy and alive like i am now because ive had all my vaccines since i was a baby than have died of measles or something 😅
My grandson, who is only 2, once said "gampa...yous gots a big nose". Then he laughed.
This is a price winner at so many levels... George Lucas better hire her quick, her ability to create fiction is through the roof!
Never heard a two year old speak in such complete, articulate and informed sentences before. Anyone?
the two year old is proud. How does an adult not know the limit to total bulls**t?
" My boy" is imaginary, but that's ok, he doesn't have autism, cancer or homosexual tendencies He is immortal.
These morons believe that BECAUSE they are still alive, they are the fittest for survival.
lets refer to the b******t checklist (√ ) homophobic (√ ) unrealistic (√ ) anti vax (√ ) small child saying parents misguided views. (√ ) everyone in the story praising them
They only want money, yet the c-19 vaxx and boosters are free. Also I doubt your toddler can parrot that well. But nice try karen. Also, there's no way you pulled off a "looking cool cuz I'm walking away from an explosion in slo mo" trick. If this were true they were only silent because they couldn't process your level of stupid.
I hope Andrew Wakefield is rotting in hell somewhere for the dangerous misinformation he spread.
"The increased risk of homosexuality" is both the most bigoted and the funniest thing I've ever read. Risk means danger... Gay legions gather to attack!
Wait... And the woman didnt clap in the end? Must be a fake history
Vaccinations cause homosexuality? Really? How could anyone be stupid enough to fall for that?
Had I been actually face to face with this person and she was telling me this story, I would have slapped her right across the face when she said "causes homosexuality"
Survival of the fittest, i dont think a 2 year old would know to say things like that, and i just love the irony of an antivaxxer saying that phrase, survival of the fittest does not currently exist, and the freatest example is that this antivaxxer has children.
Senility meets stupidity. No 2 year is that articulate. Also no vaxs don't cause autism not homosexuality. As for dying it's the unvaxed going to graves 95% of the time
People have this strange believe that 2 Year olds are hyper intelligent. You know what my 2 Year old was all about? Dinosaurs
I was born autistic, and I LIKE being autistic, vaccines had nothing to do with it and I wouldn't care even if they did
If you're more afraid of having an autistic kid or a gay kid than you are of them having permanent organ damage or even dying from a preventable disease, have your reproductive organs removed.
oMg BuT iTs So TrUe! hYgRoGeN mOnOxIdE dOeS tHaT, aNd ItS iN tHe VaCcInEs!
I nearly spit out my drink I laughed so hard at this. I'm surprised that when she left the store: as the doors slid open, angelic music started playing and the sun shined down on her and her son (brighter on her son of course) and woodland animals escorted them to her Rolls Royce limo. At least, that's how I would've written it.
I mean, I have daydreams too. However, I never confuse them with reality. (Also, double vaxxed and boosted, TYVM.)
I'm very vaccine suspicious, and do NOT support vaccine passports.... and this little anecdote is one of the most cringey things I've read in a while. Yikes.
“RISK OF HOMOSEXUALITY”?! WUT B***H I WAS GAY WAY BEFORE THE VACCINES!
"You raised him well". He's 2 years old, you barely started raising him.
Wow so openly homophobic too....... Please Please let her son be gay....... (I'm LGBT+)
It sounds legit up to the point with the son. Then it floods with bull crap.
Um first of all i hope you dont actaully have a kid because somebody would have to take him/her away to months and years of therapy and onstly i think you have mental health problems and need to see a doctor and a mental health theripist right after you get out of prison. #antivaxxersamiright#😓
This can't be real. No... I refused to believe that people make stories out of temporary insanity
Nothing about that story is believable. And the fact that the individual who wrote it thought it would be should tell you all you need to know about that person.
He's two? Dang my sons were quoting the magna Carta from memory by then, what's wrong with the kid, don't they anoint him with enough essential bullsh!tt oil every day??
The claim that a 2 year old understands and can clearly enunciate the term "survival of the fittest"?
Let’s all hunker down guys and wait for Mother Nature, Father Time and stupidity to wipe these Plague Rats from the earth…Peace, Love and Science! PS her 2 year old said this!? What a sick little a*****e he’s turning out to be. They should be so proud. 😁
…..I can’t! I just can’t anymore. Not only made herself sound and act like a total brainwashed idiot but proved that indoctrination of children turns them into little carbon copy assholes as well. Please don’t get vaccinated! The rest of us that are vaxxed will hunker down and wait for all of you plague rats to disappear from the earth. Peace love and science 😁
So I guess since me,my husband and daughter have had our vaccines that we will turn gay. Please spare me the b******t.
Can't! I can't. I actively CANNOT🤣🙈🤣🙈🤣🙈🙈😅😅 THIS FCKN lady jsjdjdjdhsh "causes autism and cancer and homosexuality"🤣🤣🤣🤣 STAAAWWWPHAHAHSHSY someone please- h e l p
Damn, I was wondering how I ended up so gay! It must be because my mom wanted me to live 🤷🏻♀️
Increase the risk of homosexuality?! Will homosexuals rise up zombie style if they get vaccinated? Does vaccines make homosexuality contagious? Will vaccines give heterosexuals autism so badly that it will allow for a homosexual uprising and new gay illuminati? What is the risk of homosexuality?!?!? I'm not sure how to unbox that thought process. Just so many questions.
VACCINES DO NOT CAUSE ANY OF THAT WHERE THE F**K DO PEOPLE GET THAT S**T FROM ANYWAY sorry had to get the off my chest
That 2 year old has quite the vocabulary! oh brother!! 😂😂😂
2? Two? T-W-O? 2? I think the OP forgot a number after the 2. Why must people lie? Do they not understand that the internet is forever?
... as it never happened. Two year olds don't remotely speak like that.
This has gotta be satire, right? All that crap about a two-year-old being that articulate and knowing enough information to be able to say all of that...if it's not intended as satire then this person is truly delusional. But also, yeah, the misinformation coming out of this "sage" toddler is incredible, too.
So the two year who probably not even potty trained said all that. Sphhh..
I've been waiting for my homosexuality to kick in any day now... for the past 36 years... And the verb you're looking for is not "proud", it is "ashamed" of this amoeba his mother.
Dang, I'm vaccinated and boostered, and I've only grown deer antlers as a result. I did get cancer ten years ago, though, so we'll call it even.
WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. F**K?!?! Are there people out there that really are this stupid - "My husband died of cancer brought on by vaccinations" - really? But her super genius 2yr old does have a point about it being survival of the fittest, unfortunately if survival of the fittest was based on brain cells him and his mother would be flecked!
I've been homosexual since before getting vaccinated, does that count???
There’s just so much stupid in this post. It’s like she sat down and thought, “How many ridiculous things can I put in one long paragraph?” It’s “amazing” how her two year old son not only understands what being vaccinated is and proud that he isnt, but also well-versed in evolution and understands “survival of the fittest” and is so articulate that he described it to someone else. Then there’s “vaccines ‘ increase the risk of homosexuality”, as if it were some kind of disease. My favorite i think how she got affirmation for all her crazy from some random person whose husband died of cancer brought on solely by vaccines. Only vaccines. 🤨
Why? Why do they protect their identity? This person should be called out for her stupid/hate speech!
Why stop there? Post their address and phone number and where they work! No one should ever have privacy if they've ever lied/ hated/ or said something stupid! What the f**k is wrong with you people?
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I got my money's worth. Double vaccinated and boosted, and now I'm a bisexual nonbinary a*****e
people be like "vaccines cause autism" would you rather your child be autistic or dead? because i'd take a living autistic child over a dead child any day. easy. not even a decision. same goes for "vaccines cause homosexuality".
Yes, because giving cancer to your customers is an awesome money making strategy.
When people are "afraid" of homosexuality it's probably because they can't leave the closet...
Oh no! My vaccinations are going to give me the "dreaded homosexuality"?! ....... okay like when? Because I can tell you right now I'm definitely pansexual but I always knew that. But when will my homosexuality start kicking in? I'm still waiting.
We all hoping this person is also lieing about actually having kids right?
my answer where is your proof that it cause cancer , autism or homosexuilatiy that is proved to cause it. also woman have you ever thought that the cancerwas not caused by this use your minds
How the hell do these people think that readers are going to believe this crap!?
This POV is so stupid. Most people - like, vast majority - at least in western countries are vaccinated against SOMETHING. If like 99% of the people have at least four vaccination shots then how come only 10% of the population is lgbtq+? I think it’s about the same for autism. The odds of getting cancer are higher but that’s probably because we’re all exposed to a major carcinogen - the sun - all the time. The math doesn’t add up for “vaccines cause ga autism cancer.”
Lies on social media are different. Andrew Selepak noted that they can be intentional or unintentional. Like when we see a story criticizing a politician or sports team we don’t like, we will probably share it because we want it to be true: “We aren’t the originator of the lie, but we are spreading it because we didn’t do our due diligence to fact check it first.”
Yet, this is not as bad as being the creator of a lie. “Politicians, internet trolls, and influencers spread lies about issues like COVID-19, their political party or the opposition, or and other major political issues, to manipulate the public.” These posts are dangerous because such people have a greater reach and thus their lies can be further spread by individuals who want to believe it’s true.
“This is how fake news spreads,” Selepak explained. “But it can be difficult to combat fake news because as individuals we often don’t have reach as influencers. We can debunk and dispute lies, but not as many people will see it, and some might be more willing to believe the lie than the truth.”
Disputing fabrications publicly also rarely works because “you could be attacked for being partisan” or doubting something others wants to believe to be true. “And no one likes to be called out publicly for lying. Instead, it is better to send a direct message or speak to someone offline about lies they are spreading, present accurate information, and hope they will take down their post or at least be less willing to share lies in the future.”
We are all impacted by dishonesty on social media. “When people, and especially young girls, see the fake body images presented on social media as the norm and forget that what they see on social media is not real, it impacts how they see their body, the bodies of others, and what they idealize as the beauty standard,” the lecturer explained. “This is unhealthy and can lead to anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.”
While social media is full of dishonesty, “we cannot expect the platforms to remove all of this content, nor should we want them to. Social media should be a free speech space where ideas are debated and lies are publicly disputed,” Andrew Selepak said.
Dr. Cortney Warren told Bored Panda that when it comes to social media, people usually “lie by presenting an image of themselves and their lives that reflects what they wish were true.” A board-certified clinical psychologist, a nationally recognized expert in self-deception, and author of Lies We Tell Ourselves: The Psychology of Self-Deception thinks that the anonymity and lack of direct face-to-face interaction make it easier for people to pretend.
“You can essentially say whatever you want online—whether it’s objectively true or not—and not really have very serious consequences for it.” The professor of Psychiatry at the UNLV School of Medicine explained that this way people are “able to project an image or a statement without many of the nuances of non-verbal and interpersonal cues that indicate lying in person.”
if you gonna lie about your kid make it believable like something a 10 year old might actually say
She mentioned that in terms of spotting dishonesty, people should go into all online material with a critical thinking cap on. To evaluate whether a statement is true, people should ask questions. “First, consider the source—do they have a vested personal interest in presenting information a certain way? Then consider the perspective taken—are they able to articulate the other side of an argument? Also, look for self-deception. Are they in denial? Rationalizing? Projecting?”
“Although selective self-presentation and lying about ourselves on social media may not seem like a surprise (or even a big deal), it can affect us greatly,” Warren noted. “Humans are naturally social creatures—we crave relationships and social interaction. … We want to feel connected to people and “in the know” about our friends, family, and even celebrities. We crave connectedness. So, we want to interact with people and social media offers us one way to do that.”
We also tend to trust that others are being honest with us: “A large body of research suggests that we are programmed to trust others. Although the reasons for [this] are complex, without interpersonal connectedness and a fundamental belief that those around will support you, protect you, and treat you respectfully, we feel unsafe.”
So when people are dishonest on social media, it causes problems because we internally presume that what is presented is true. “That people are naturally as good-looking as their photos appear. … That people around us are in a habitual state of going on vacation, eating out, and parenting blissfully. This is clearly not true,” the psychologist explained.
“And although we are less aware of the realities of other people’s lives, we are well aware of the ways in which our own lives are NOT ideal,” Dr. Cortney Warren told us. When we compare ourselves with “the idealized images and unreasonably positive life accounts that tend to permeate social media, we are likely to feel more poorly about ourselves and our lives.”
As a New Zealander I say, dream on lady. We don't give a damn about you so get your head out of your a**e.
So Brexit happened because 10 year olds really wanted it. Makes sense....
We all lie—and on social media, this is rampant. “Often, people do it to try to project an image of what they wish were true. To make ourselves look more beautiful. Smarter. More successful. As though we have a more fun life!”
“Although lying to others is not something I would encourage you to do, the greater journey is to become fully honest with yourself,” Warren advised. “If you catch yourself in the act of lying, pause. Ask yourself why you are doing it. As you understand what’s motivating your lies, you can be more honest with yourself about who you want to be and how you want to act.”
The point is that there's 146 of those two-tone eggs (all sold in alu wrapper so indistinguishable), and if you find BUT NOT EAT them you can enter in a competition for £10K (so arguably, one is worth £68.5 if uneaten). They are sold only between Christmas and Easter.
The few corrupt and useless doctors are the ones that are saying that Covid is just a hoax.
Note: this post originally had 97 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
This list is difficult to read. I feel more angry the more I read. Respect to all who finish it.
Yeah, I got pretty pissed off by some of these as well. I have a 6-months-old baby who can't get vaccinated yet and I absolutely bloody HATE antivaxxers with everything I got. My child, who has no choice in the matter, may die because some selfish idiot chose not to get the jab.
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I'd had enough bullshite by the time I got to the 20s. If you believe any of these are true, I know a used car salesman who'd love to meet you.
The lame fanfiction I used to write when I was a teenager was more believable than this.
I thought these were just people joking, then by the comments realise we are expected to believe them. Are people really that dim?
Everyone wants to feel special. They'll do whatever they need to for other's approval or to give themselves a little bit of superiority even if it's completely false.
My 6 year old niece flew to Poland to cross the boarder and fight for Ukraine. She said she would rather die for freedom than live in an oligarch's world. She learned to fly in 2 days and is the actual Ghost of Kyiv. She sent me a text while she was flying to remind me I need to buy dog food before it runs out. I announced this to a random room I was in and everyone erupted in applause!
I couldn't keep going. This is clearly fabricated to support the mask agenda. Where are all the fake posts made by those who wear masks? You won't see them because they don't want to admit there are idiots on both sides, just the side they don't agree with. Perfect example of propaganda.
I feel that the best way to counter this is just to ignore such tweets/posts/comments, since these articles live off on attention and controversy. Once they realise that these posts have no effects, perhaps they will eventually decrease.
Another clown world article mocking anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers. Ever think that "they" did their research and use common sense. Keep on believing what is told to you by the circus otherwise known as media. Whatever happened to real journalism!?!
What happened to believing science and facts? Just because you didn't get sick doesn't make Covid fake and if masks don't work why do surgeons wear them when they operate? Anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers deserve to be mocked they're the reason we are going on year two of this crap.
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Interesting how so many of these are from anti-vaxxers or anti-mask... Just saying!
I'm once again reminded that antimaskers/antivaxxers are scum of the earth, and that it's perfectly okay to despise them.
Of course they are when you eat up all that liberal propaganda. Yum.
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About 95% of these are total garbage, but a handful of these could have happened. Some just need more context. I've had some stuff happen that NOBODY would believe if I put it on Socmed.
The vaccine makes you dumber!!! Don't take it of you want to keep all common sense!!!... /j
Why do these idiots always talk about their toddler children saying things that obviously never happened? Post after post has been almost nothing but that.
Notice all the hate is being spread by Liberal vax-holes. Not one hateful comment from a Republican or an anti-vaxxer. Whose the one REALLY spreading hate?
I find this debate about CoNvid to be laughable. The very first thing published about it was the paper that described it as "...a more virulent strain of influenza...". The very first thing people do...run to the store and buy up all the bottled water, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer. This makes me a firm believer in the Wizard's First Rule... People are stupid.
This list is difficult to read. I feel more angry the more I read. Respect to all who finish it.
Yeah, I got pretty pissed off by some of these as well. I have a 6-months-old baby who can't get vaccinated yet and I absolutely bloody HATE antivaxxers with everything I got. My child, who has no choice in the matter, may die because some selfish idiot chose not to get the jab.
Load More Replies... I'd had enough bullshite by the time I got to the 20s. If you believe any of these are true, I know a used car salesman who'd love to meet you.
The lame fanfiction I used to write when I was a teenager was more believable than this.
I thought these were just people joking, then by the comments realise we are expected to believe them. Are people really that dim?
Everyone wants to feel special. They'll do whatever they need to for other's approval or to give themselves a little bit of superiority even if it's completely false.
My 6 year old niece flew to Poland to cross the boarder and fight for Ukraine. She said she would rather die for freedom than live in an oligarch's world. She learned to fly in 2 days and is the actual Ghost of Kyiv. She sent me a text while she was flying to remind me I need to buy dog food before it runs out. I announced this to a random room I was in and everyone erupted in applause!
I couldn't keep going. This is clearly fabricated to support the mask agenda. Where are all the fake posts made by those who wear masks? You won't see them because they don't want to admit there are idiots on both sides, just the side they don't agree with. Perfect example of propaganda.
I feel that the best way to counter this is just to ignore such tweets/posts/comments, since these articles live off on attention and controversy. Once they realise that these posts have no effects, perhaps they will eventually decrease.
Another clown world article mocking anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers. Ever think that "they" did their research and use common sense. Keep on believing what is told to you by the circus otherwise known as media. Whatever happened to real journalism!?!
What happened to believing science and facts? Just because you didn't get sick doesn't make Covid fake and if masks don't work why do surgeons wear them when they operate? Anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers deserve to be mocked they're the reason we are going on year two of this crap.
Load More Replies... Interesting how so many of these are from anti-vaxxers or anti-mask... Just saying!
I'm once again reminded that antimaskers/antivaxxers are scum of the earth, and that it's perfectly okay to despise them.
Of course they are when you eat up all that liberal propaganda. Yum.
Load More Replies... About 95% of these are total garbage, but a handful of these could have happened. Some just need more context. I've had some stuff happen that NOBODY would believe if I put it on Socmed.
The vaccine makes you dumber!!! Don't take it of you want to keep all common sense!!!... /j
Why do these idiots always talk about their toddler children saying things that obviously never happened? Post after post has been almost nothing but that.
Notice all the hate is being spread by Liberal vax-holes. Not one hateful comment from a Republican or an anti-vaxxer. Whose the one REALLY spreading hate?
I find this debate about CoNvid to be laughable. The very first thing published about it was the paper that described it as "...a more virulent strain of influenza...". The very first thing people do...run to the store and buy up all the bottled water, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer. This makes me a firm believer in the Wizard's First Rule... People are stupid.
