Facebook users were misled recently when a post suggested that teenagers are using a common hand sign to show that they wish to buy drugs. Rather, a photograph showing a “new hand sign” that is being used by teenagers to signal that they wish to buy or sell drugs is a hoax and is instead a part of a game played by kids to get them to look at the signal resulting in them getting a punch.
Parents routinely find themselves prey to rumors and legends with regards to the safety of their children. In this case, a Facebook user named David Samson took advantage of parental paranoia in December 2017 when he shared an image of a common hand gesture along with the claim that it was being used by teenagers to acquire drugs. You can see that Facebook post below.
“PARENTS BE WARNED:
This is not a joke! This is a sign our kids are using nowadays for drug communication of cocaine and acid! If your kid does this hand sign it’s their way of asking “do you have the goods?” please spread this to other parents! My 10 year old little Susan and her friends were caught up in this and thankfully the wife and I caught it and got them all the help and support they needed.”
However, there is no truth to the Facebook post, according to Snopes. Although the above hand gesture may have different meanings to different people, in the United States it is commonly used in “The Circle Game,” which is a sort of “made you look” prank that appears to be experiencing a surge in popularity. UrbanDictionary.com provided a brief explanation of the game:
A game of peripheral vision, trickery and motor skills.
The game starts out when the Offensive Player creates a circle with their thumb and forefinger, not unlike an “A-Okay” signal, somewhere below his waist.
His goal is to trick another person into looking at his hand. If the Victim looks at the hand, he has lost the game, and is subsequently hit on the bicep with a closed fist, by the offensive player.
Finally, the person who posted the original fake Facebook “warning” declared themselves the “BEST troll” in a message posted a few days after their previous post went viral:
I’m not a troll, I am the BEST troll. Half of the people believe the post, half don’t believe it, and at the end of the day, I still get to punch you all the same
😜
☃️
🕊️
For worried parents, the claim that this hand gesture was being used to acquire drugs did not originate with a police department, school, or any other authoritative body. Rather, it seems to have solely been posted be someone to troll overly worried parents and to trick his followers into a digital round of an online game. It successfully worked with that deception.
What did you think of the false information that teenagers are using a common hand sign to show that they wish to buy drugs? Did you believe the fake Facebook post or see people sharing it falsely on social media? Let us know in the comments section.
Photo Credit: Source
Recommended for You