what are the effects of urban legend on children?
I disagree with the above. Urban legends are simply the modern extension of standard legends and serve the same purpose: cautionary tales and passing down of cultural standards. For instance, the story about the murderer in the girls house when her parents were out of town*: while this has never happened, the story enforces the concept that young women need to be cautious when alone. The problem is that people react to risk out of proportion of the risk – unless the risk is both immediate and “colorful” (for want of a better word), people tend to ignore it or forget it easily. The creation of urban legends gives our culture both memorable lessons that don’t require the lesson recipient to actually experience unpleasant events. It also gives our culture a chance to express our anxieties. *this one always scared the bejeebers out of me.
