Chain messages: Where did they come from and are they real?

Have you ever received a message asking you to send it on to your friends, and if you don't, something might happen to you?

These are called chain messages and have been sent for centuries.

But where did they come from, and will anything actually happen to you if you don't send them on?

A chain message is a message that aims to convince the person it is sent to, to send it on to more people.

This could be by a direct message on social media, an email or a text message.

Sometimes chain messages will try to convince people to share the message by saying they will do something good, or by saying that something bad might happen to them if they don't.

But this is not true and is just made up.

They can also spread fake news and false information in this way.

Chain messages are nothing new, in fact some of the earliest chain messages recorded were letters sent in the 18th Century.

Religious groups and charities would sometimes send letters to people asking them to send them on to other people to help spread awareness of their causes.

During the first and second world wars many people sent chain letters calling for peace or victory.

With the arrival of the internet and texting in the 1990s chain letters turned into chain messages and emails.

Nowadays, people can use social media sites to spread chain messages using things like direct messages.

If you think you might have been sent a chain message here is some advice:

And remember, no matter what the message says, nothing bad will happen to you if you don't send it on.

Check out our advice here if anything you've seen in the news upsets you.