With the advent of the internet has come an abundance of new forms of entertainment, education and interaction. You can watch video clips, study a foreign language or chat with a friend. One of the newest forms of entertainment is the online quiz. These types of quizzes were formerly found in magazines. While that format was fine for sleepovers, having quizzes online allows you to more easily share them and compare results with your friends.
A popular quiz format relates to testing one’s ability to see accurately. Users may be trying to find out if their vision is as sharp as an eagle’s or as weak as the rhinoceros’. A series of questions is presented in which the user may be asked to identify the shade of a shape when placed against another color. Numbers or letters may be written using various sized circular shapes and then placed into a multi-colored background. Colors may be presented in many shades ranging from dark to light with users asked to identify a certain intensity. The ability to distinguish small details may be tested using images with depth. The possibilities are endless.
At the end of such quizzes, the user is given a score. Those that do well on the quiz are rewarded with positive messages such as “You’re an eagle! You can see the tiniest of details in the most chaotic backgrounds. Your friends rely on you to notice everything.” On the other hand, those that do poorly on the test should expect less encouraging messages. Some quizzes will tell you outright that you have failed and should consider seeking help. Other ones will politely let you know that your efforts were not up to par and encourage you to try again.
Clearly, it is easy to take such quizzes again and again until one “passes.” All one needs to do is to select a different option from the pre-formulated responses each time to achieve different results. In all honesty, that can be part of the fun. Nevertheless, the value of these types of quizzes lies mostly in entertainment. While there is nothing wrong with that, users should not put much stock in their results nor base any important decisions, medical or otherwise, on such quizzes.
Instead, use them as they were intended. Take the quiz. Share it with your friends. Compare your results. Try for different ones. Laugh and have fun. You’ll find most of these quizzes perfect for a few minutes of entertainment and a little bit of social media bragging rights. Now, I’m off to determine if I have the supernatural vision that only superheroes enjoy! Wish me luck!