By Gracelyn Skilling ‘26
As kids, we have a tendency to view adults as all-knowing, omniscient beings that have achieved the imagined ultimate state of existence: being old. Due to this phenomenon, we understandably tend to accept most of the reasonable-sounding quips of elderly wisdom that adults, especially parents, bestow upon us. Such as, “whoops, five second rule!”
We’ve all heard of them. They’re so widely understood, that not many of us bother to give them a second glance. But how many of these myths are actually true?
Here are five common myths you were probably raised to believe that are, in fact, not true.
Sugar doesn’t make you hyperactive.
It may come as a surprise that sugar rushes are actually, for the most part, a myth. Numerous studies have tried, and failed, to support the notion of sugar causing hyperactivity, particularly in children. The idea may have arisen from a 1970s study in which a doctor removed sugar from a child’s diet and reported an improvement in behavior.
Interestingly, in a study described here parents were asked to rate their child’s behavior after giving them a sugary drink. Unbeknownst to the parents, the drink was sugar free; however, parents nevertheless rated their child as more hyperactive after consuming the drink.
Carrots don’t help you see better in the dark.
While they do contain vitamin A, which is important for night vision, eating carrots would only make a difference in those with a significant deficiency of it. Furthermore, there are other foods higher in vitamin A in any case.
The link between carrots and eyesight actually comes from war propaganda used by the British to cover up their radar stations (the real source of their “night vision”) and boost morale in a country living off an unremarkable wartime diet.
Cracking your knuckles doesn’t cause arthritis.
It’s not considered detrimental at all, for that matter. When you’re “cracking” your knuckles, you’re really just releasing air bubbles built up in the synovial fluid between your joints.
Sitting close to the TV doesn’t harm your eyes.
There is no evidence that sitting close to a television (or a computer screen) can harm your eyes, other than potentially causing eye strain, which affects mostly adults and those with weaker eyes.
You use more than 10% of your brain.
According to a 2013 survey, almost two thirds of Americans believe that we only use 10% of our brains. This has been debunked in numerous studies–most of the brain is active at all times, even while performing simple tasks or while sleeping.
