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IKEA Asks People To Bully This Plant For 30 Days To See What Happens, And Results Are Eyeopening
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IKEA Asks People To Bully This Plant For 30 Days To See What Happens, And Results Are Eyeopening

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Bully a plant, a live experiment with two IKEA plants and with thousands of children, to help to raise awareness around Anti-Bullying Day on 4th May in the Middle East.

The live experiment involved IKEA taking two of its very own plants and installing them at the school, where one plant was fed compliments and words of encouragement, while the other was verbally bullied with hateful words. The students were encouraged to record their own voices to share their love with the first plant and give words of criticism to the second, either first hand or via social media interaction. After 30 days, the results spoke for themselves – while the complimented plant continued to thrive, the bullied plant was visibly struggling, and looking dull with droopy brown leaves.

Both plants were treated strictly the same: with the same amount water. Exposed with of sunlight, water and fertiliser. The only difference being, we said words of criticism to one plant, and words of encouragement to the other, for a span of 30 days. By the end of the experiment, the impressive results spoke for themselves.

More info: youtu.be

What would happen if you bullied a plant for 30 days straight?

IKEA decided to test it out to help raise awareness around Anti-Bullying Day on 4th May in the Middle East

They placed two of their plants in a school

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Where one plant was fed compliments and words of encouragement

While the other was verbally bullied with hateful words

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Both plants were treated strictly the same

They both received the same amount of water, sunlight and fertilizer

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The end result speaks for itself

Watch this video to see the experiment in detail:

Here’s what people had to say about the project

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mastermarkus avatar
Master Markus
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pretty sure this is b******t and they probably just didn't water the "bullied" one properly to keep up the illusion. Plants don't hear and understand human languages - if you say something to a plant, it doesn't know if you're insulting it.

alusairalustriel avatar
Alusair Alustriel
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I heard a theory that they grow better when someone speaks to them, because they get bigger amount of Carbon dioxide that's being breathed out :P

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p-a-golden avatar
Patti
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Funny. I'm going to have to tell my daughter to stop bullying her plants

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cassiewilliams avatar
Cassie
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is very likely an anomaly rather than an accurate experiment. First, there is no control (like another plant that is not being spoken to at all). Second, there are not enough of each variable for an accurate data collection. In order for this to be an accurate experiment, it needs to be able to be recreated by other people many times over. If it can be recreated again and again with the same results, then we could reasonably say this actually works. However, what you see here is anecdotal and may or may not actually work.

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mastermarkus avatar
Master Markus
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pretty sure this is b******t and they probably just didn't water the "bullied" one properly to keep up the illusion. Plants don't hear and understand human languages - if you say something to a plant, it doesn't know if you're insulting it.

alusairalustriel avatar
Alusair Alustriel
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I heard a theory that they grow better when someone speaks to them, because they get bigger amount of Carbon dioxide that's being breathed out :P

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seauf avatar
p-a-golden avatar
Patti
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Funny. I'm going to have to tell my daughter to stop bullying her plants

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christophermarrero avatar
cassiewilliams avatar
Cassie
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is very likely an anomaly rather than an accurate experiment. First, there is no control (like another plant that is not being spoken to at all). Second, there are not enough of each variable for an accurate data collection. In order for this to be an accurate experiment, it needs to be able to be recreated by other people many times over. If it can be recreated again and again with the same results, then we could reasonably say this actually works. However, what you see here is anecdotal and may or may not actually work.

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