If you opened the fridge expecting to see a gallon of milk, a carton of eggs and a stick of butter, but instead you found tiny, plastic versions of those same items, what would be going through your mind? Would you assume it was sorcery, a glitch in the matrix, or a bad dream? Or perhaps, you might come to the conclusion that your partner was playing tricks on you.
One person recently reached out to Reddit asking for advice after their girlfriend’s pranks started driving them up the wall. Below, you’ll find the full story detailing this grocery drama, as well as some of the replies readers shared.
This person has noticed that many of their groceries have been replaced with miniature, plastic versions
But after begging their girlfriend to put an end to the pranks, she refused to admit that it was her
When done well, light-hearted pranks can bring people closer together
Depending on the nature of your relationship, pranks might be a regular part of you and your partner’s daily routine. Or, they might have been deemed completely off limits. Putting googly eyes on the produce in the fridge might be harmless, and telling your partner that you have bad news then surprising them with concert tickets to see their favorite artist can light up their day. But when a person starts to feel tormented by their partner’s pranks, their relationship can quickly deteriorate.
As far as why so many of us love pranks, Embolden Psychology notes that practical jokes are a form of play-fighting. This is something we’ll often do with people that we feel close to, because we trust that if we jokingly fight with them, they won’t be offended. In the same way, we trust that if we pull a prank on them, they won’t actually be upset. They’ll laugh and understand that it came from a place of love and humor.
Pranks can also make us feel even closer to someone, as you might feel a stronger bond after sharing a laugh with your sibling, friend or colleague after realizing you’ve been pranked. On the other hand, however, not everyone is open to the idea of being tricked just for humor. According to a 2021 YouGov poll, Americans under 30 are the only age group that finds April Fools’ hijinks more amusing than annoying.
But many adults simply don’t find hijinks amusing
48% of adults in the US between the ages of 30 to 64 are not fans of pranks on April 1st, and 51% of those 65 and older find them annoying too. In fact, when it comes to pranks in general, 59% of Americans report that they are not interested in anyone’s hijinks. But as with anything else, it’s all about context. You should be confident that a prank is harmless and that the person you’re pulling it on won’t be upset before you embark on your journey of hijinks. For example, a joke that lands really well with your spouse might not be as amusing to your boss.
For a previous Daily Trend Blog article discussing pranks and relationships, we reached out to Dr. Lee Baucom of Save The Marriage. He was kind enough to have a chat with us and explain how appropriate it is to prank our significant others.
The therapist shared that it’s perfectly fine for couples to prank one another, as long as both of them actually enjoy that type of humor. However, many people do not. “I have had experiences with couples where one was playing pranks — for their own amusement — that was damaging and hurtful for the other’s self-esteem,” Dr. Baucom noted. “This happens when a prank humiliates or shames the person.”
While a great prank that’s well received can bring people closer together, a poorly executed or distasteful prank can do irreparable damage to a relationship. Stephanie A. Sarkis, PhD, wrote a piece for Psychology Today detailing how pranks picked up on social media can actually be harmful. For example, if a person has past trauma or is a survivor of abuse, a “funny” surprise might actually be extremely triggering to them.
Relationships can quickly be eroded by pranks that have gone too far
Any prank that involves humiliation, physical harm, frightens victims or causes distress should not be considered a joke. Just because a person isn’t actually in a dangerous situation doesn’t mean that their nervous system can simply relax after being told that it was all a prank. Our bodies react to trauma, and that does not go away just because someone said, “Surprise! I was just kidding!”
Pranks like this often come with gaslighting as well. A victim might be told that they’re overreacting, being too dramatic or that they need to simply calm down if they’re upset about a joke. They might be called “uptight” or told they have no sense of humor, when in reality, they’ve been tormented unnecessarily by someone that they love and trust.
This situation is a difficult one because the OP’s girlfriend actually was innocent in the pranking, but the damage of their brother’s prank led to a wedge between both the siblings and the partners. We would love to hear your thoughts on this story below, pandas. Then, if you’re interested in checking out an article featuring pranks that actually are harmless, look no further than right here!
