Some Truly Classic Social Media Pranks

It’s a poorly kept secret that Al Gore invented the Internet for the sole purpose of practical joking. There are even some who believe the Internet itself is one big practical joke.

The combination of virality and anonymity make the World Wide Web an ideal medium for prank pulling. With the right passwords, you can levy subterfuge from anywhere and on anyone.

But as Al Gore said: “With great power, comes great responsibility.”

The Internet is already crowded with vindictive deception (I’m looking at you Eastern Europe), so when pranking friends and family, choose the kind of chicanery that garners clicks and chuckles, not shame or anger. Don’t get yourself or anyone else fired. Backstabbing and lies are for the Bachelorette, not April Fools’ Day.

Here are some ideas…

Rickrolling

Rickrolling has all of the ingredients for practical joking success: late 80s cheese-pop, awkward dancing, trench coats, and rich baritone.

Never rickrolled before? Just close your eyes, baby; it’s easy.

Simply disguise a hyperlink to the music video for Rick Astley’s 1987 masterpiece “Never Gonna Give You Up” and send it to your friend with something like “Free Chipotle!”

An oldie but a goodie, it’s the “Rapper’s Delight” of Internet pranking.

*Editor’s Note: anyone who has ever tried to unsubscribe from I Can’t Believe It’s Not Clickbait! has felt the wrath of our Rickroll#

Real Fake News

There has never been a better time to post fake real news on your social media feeds. Given the nature of the 2016 presidential race, almost anything and everything is plausible. Your friends are vulnerable. It’s time to take advantage.

With websites like ShareOnFB.com, you can create any fake real news story you want – picture, title, subheading, and all:

See how much fun this is?

After you’ve come up with a doozy, just copy and paste the link on Facebook or Twitter and watch the misinformation go viral!

Happy Birthday, Again

Do you have a friend whose birthday isn’t today? Does he or she have Facebook? If you answered yes to both of those questions, then this prank is perfect for you.

First, gain access to the victim’s Facebook account (it helps to wear camouflage). Once you’ve logged-in, access the “About” section of their profile page and click “Edit your contact and basic info.” Finally, change their “Birth Date” — preferably to today — and click “Save Changes.”

Now wait while a strange mix of confusion, embarrassment and self-love wash over your pal…

The length of time it takes your friend to alert well-wishers of the mix-up is a fair proxy for their human decency.

Check-In From Anywhere

Want to post Bible verses from North Korea? Looking to trick your friends into thinking you scored last-minute tickets to the Bieber show? You can do both in a matter of minutes, all without leaving your bedroom.

All you need are a couple Firefox plugins and a few clicks of the mouse to trick Facebook and your followers into thinking you’re posting from a mobile device just north of the Korean Peninsula’s 38th parallel or the front row of Madison Square Garden.

Just follow the directions here:

Where are ü now?

Teach Your Friend A New Language

Xenophobes are everywhere. You’ve seen them at the mall muttering about the foreign help and slow service at Cinnabon. You’ve seen them get angry at the ATM when asked what language they’d like to conduct their transaction in – English, duh! What the hell is this country coming to?

If you’re worried your friend might be one of these delightful people, there’s an easy way to find out: commandeer your friend’s phone for an innocent task and head to “Settings.” Scroll down until you find the “Language & Region” controls and pick a new dialect – preferably one that uses an alien alphabet. Hand it back like nothing at all just happened.

Now, sit back and wait for the pejoratives to fly.

When In Doubt, Animals

The Internet is too often a cold and cruel place. If the Information Highway has one of your friends down, try a friendlier, furrier prank: send them feline facts or pug pictures (a lot of them).

For $9.99, Pug A Day will send your friend a picture of a pug once a day for 100 days straight…

Or, if your friend is more of a cat person, there’s CatFacts.co…

These constant injections of cuteness will bring your hombre smiles and vital knowledge, and then, like most things, will eventually get really, really annoying.

Happy April Fools Day from everyone at Random Nerds! May you enjoy not trusting anyone, even your closest friends and family members, until midnight!