Internet Quizzes

By Kathy Koches

Those of us who play on the Internet, especially FaceBook, have probably taken at least one of the quizzes that seem to pop up frequently. I just recently took one that told me that the song that described me was “Wild Thing,” what region of the US my speech pattern was most like, and what “fairy” I would be. Really? Now I know that most of them are just for fun, and there is no scientific basis whatsoever (well maybe some research was done for the speech pattern quiz.) They are for entertainment only, and not to be taken seriously.

But I got to wondering why I like to take them. Sure, it’s flattering when you find out you were a famous movie star in a past life (yeah, right) or that you are charming, witty, or have a sparkling personality. And sometimes they even “calculate” your intelligence or knowledge of a particular era or event. I did pretty well identifying the rock stars of the ‘60’s!

I think it is more than simply entertainment at work here. Everyone wants to feel that they are a part of something, or that they excel at something. These quizzes become a type of “validation” a “pat on the back” and make you feel good about yourself. I have yet to take one that told me I was an idiot or a terrible person!!

The other day a friend told me that I should stop taking these little quizzes, as they are a marketing tool used to track people’s preferences in order to target them for advertising. Really? They can analyze my personality and send me advertising based on the color of my aura? I doubt that. Another friend told me she won’t take any internet quizzes because “they” can track her. Is she overly paranoid? Perhaps. But in this modern day world of technology, hackers and “big brother,” perhaps not.

Today I found out what Tarot card I would be most like (The Magician), what magical creature I would be (a Unicorn) and that my aura is pink. So, I’m good for the rest of the week!