One memorable warning was: ‘Don’t stand too close to the TV, or your eyes will turn square.’
Another common admonition was: ‘Don’t rock back on your chair, or you’ll fall and crack your head open.’
While technically possible, it was strange how every teacher seemed to have the same cautionary tale…
The intentions behind these stories were likely rooted in a concern for our well-being.
It’s possible that this now-exposed myth originated from a similar place of care.
Recently, discussions have erupted on Reddit about the millennial childhood experience.
In a thread on R/AskReddit, one user posed the question: “Millennials, what’s something you were taught growing up that turned out to be completely wrong in adulthood?”
Responses highlighted several misconceptions, such as the food pyramid’s suggestion of up to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta daily, and the idea that Beanie Babies would become valuable collectibles.
However, one particular myth resonated widely.
“Don’t swallow gum, it will stay in your stomach for x years,” someone recounted, with another person specifying: “Seven years!”
Seven seemed to be the magic number, as one commenter noted: “My 40-year-old wife still believes this.”
Another added: “I never heard ‘stay in’ for 7 years, I always heard, ‘it takes 7 years to digest.’
“Which I think is true if it stayed in, but your body actually just passes it through undigested with everything else.”
Another person chimed in: “I’m 70 and heard this. It’s been a myth for a long time lol.”
Contrary to this belief, it turns out it is inaccurate.
According to McGill University, gum, like other undigested foods, will pass through the digestive system within 24 to 48 hours – nowhere near seven years!
The Mayo Clinic notes that swallowing gum ‘generally isn’t harmful.’
The clinic explains: “Folklore suggests that swallowed gum sits in your stomach for seven years before it can be digested. But this isn’t true.
“If you swallow gum, it’s true that your body can’t digest it.
“But the gum doesn’t stay in your stomach. It moves relatively intact through your digestive system and is excreted in your stool.”
In rare instances, ‘large amounts’ of swallowed gum can cause intestinal blockages in children, but this would be quite painful.
Perhaps the ‘seven year’ tale was meant to deter us from chewing – or swallowing – gum as kids.
The more you know!