It's interesting, funny, and troubling to think about the many urban legends that circulate from person to person or on the internet. Some of the stories have been around for decades or centuries, before the internet, being spread by human contact.
Many of these older stories are ripe for another go-round. For example, the girl who kept her pony tails too long without brushing them out. A family of spiders hatched in her hair and ate her scalp.
The stories are interesting because they are creative. These stories are intriguing, often gruesome, sometimes funny.It can be both entertaining and troubling to see how vulnerable the human psyche is to unbelievable, ridiculous stories. On the other hand, there are a small number of items that have been found to be true. So, how is someone to evaluate which are silly and which are worthy cautionary warnings? Are there thinking skills we can use to evaluate Urban Legends? What about other stories and claims that we are confronted with in life? How can we use reason and critical thinking to evaluate all these things?
There are several organizations that try to bring folks back to their senses and reason on these stories. One entertaining and thought-encouraging site I found is urbanlegends.about.com. This site has a fun approach to discussing and investigating urban legends, myths, and audacious stories. All the time, evidence is reviewed, and reasonable thinking is encouraged. There are discussions relating old folklore to newer regurgitated stories. Beyond being useful in evaluating Urban Legends, it seems that the reasoning skills that are encouraged on this site would also useful for evaluating all types of claims, including sales pitches!
The charter of the site talks about human values and cultures:
"Here we'll explore the fundamentals of folklore and urban legends -- what they are, where they come from, and what roles they play in human cultures, now and down through history." 
David Emery seems to be the main writer on this site. Reading his bio it seems that he amply qualified to discuss these topics. His mission statement is placed in his profile. In it he states his intent and the types of stories he investigates:"On this site we'll debunk, deconstruct, and, wherever possible, simply revel in the strangest, scariest, funniest, most popular tall tales, rumors, and hoaxes people see fit to share, both online and off. I'm pleased to have you join me in what promises to be a constantly entertaining, ever-enlightening exploration of the urban legends and folklore of the digital age."
Different stories require different treatment, but generally, a standardized approach seems reasonable. This site seems to show a pattern of examination. First, the story is presented clearly. Second, when they are available, variations of the story are shown to reinforce the basic ideas. After this the facts or lack of facts are examined. Often included are reports, quotes, and findings of people who have investigated the story or have tried to reproduce the results. Where possible, links are made to sites that are generally accepted to be reliable, such as government, education, or medical authorities.
Different stories require different treatment, but generally, a standardized approach seems reasonable. This site seems to show a pattern of examination. First, the story is presented clearly. Second, when they are available, variations of the story are shown to reinforce the basic ideas. After this the facts or lack of facts are examined. Often included are reports, quotes, and findings of people who have investigated the story or have tried to reproduce the results. Where possible, links are made to sites that are generally accepted to be reliable, such as government, education, or medical authorities.
This site promotes critical thinking by appealing to reason and common sense. It also evaluates the story by systematically examining the facts. The quotes are linked to the people who said them so they can be examined. Variations of the stories are included and it often becomes immediately obvious the story is a fabrication.
One of the methods of presenting the urban legend is through video clips.
It would be easy to research the statements made on the clips but you are inclined to pretty much trust that the author is telling the truth. Often there is a further explanation or background information given, along with some appeals to reason. Some of the "legends" are verified to be true, and some reasonable advice is given when it comes to things that could be unsafe to consume or use. The site is interesting and might appeal to a large audience, but I don't see that rigorous critical thinking is compromised.
Urban legends are interesting to read and evaluate. The site urbanlegends.about.com is a fun place to check out the latest urban legends as well as the classics. This site will help reinforce your powers of reason as you learn how to evaluate all kinds of claims and stories.
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