By Carlos Ochoa
In this essay, I will analyze if the myth about consuming eight spiders when you sleep is true. Many myths and rumors have been introduced throughout the years where some believe it is true or fake. The myth about swallowing eight spiders at night has been commonly used with mainly younger kids. It is important to know what is real or what is classified as false. I will show you why eating spiders while you sleep is false news.
The supposed “fact” that we eat spiders at night while we sleep originated in 1993 by a magazine. An extraordinary amount of citizens believe in this rumor which can sound frightening when you go to sleep. There are many reasons why they can believe this is true such as sleeping with an open mouth, and because spiders are tiny. Humans can also get manipulated or tricked to assume that these rumors are real because of false information. One example of this working on a child is because they are gullible and believe myths are true. I used to accept this as a younger kid because my friend once told me about swallowing tiny spiders at night. I was freaked out every day before I slept because I kept on thinking this story was real. Once, I almost cried about it in the middle of the night. My point is that this affects one’s behavior and mind which can deceive or trick others to trust this myth.
The first reason why this is not correct is that spiders will always keep their distance. Spiders do not want to deal with us because we are huge compared to them. Spiders are scared of humans such as some humans are scared of spiders. There is little to hardly any reason why a spider should be in our bed besides having bed bugs.“Spiders regard us much like they’d regard a big rock,” says Bill Shear, a biology professor. My second reason why this myth isn’t true is that you are not a target or food, especially your mouth. If your mouth is open when you sleep, it can make spiders repel from your loud snores, air, and movements when you rest. Spiders sense vibrations which can warn spiders that they are dangerous. “A sleeping person is not something a spider would willingly approach.” Says Rod Crawford.
My final reason why humans don’t eat eight spiders per year is that if a spider were to crawl on your face, you would feel the sensation and wake up immediately. It is also very rare for a spider to enter your mouth if it is on you. These are my reasons why the myth of consuming eight spiders a year is false. I will give you some tips for you to make sure the information you research is correct. One way to avoid false information is by checking the source you use online. If you are researching a topic, make sure that the end letters of the URL link say, .org, .edu, .gov. This is a way to know if your source is reliable because it was written by the government, an organization, or an education program. My final way is to check if you can see authors or their profession if it states so you can get a sense that it is correct. Do these steps correctly and you won’t have to worry about fake news such as this spider myth.
Carlos Ochoa – The Thacher School – DMSF