Is The Jayden K. Smith Facebook Profile Real?

No, this internet scandal has nothing to do with rapper Jaden Smith, though it somehow wouldn't be that surprising to see his name associated with some international web phenomenon. As The Sun pointed out on Monday, the Jayden K. Smith Facebook hoax, instead, is thankfully, just that. Basically, due to a widespread rumor, people were under the belief that if they accepted the Facebook friendship of a user of that name, the user would be able to hack their computer and steal all of their information. You might have seen a warning like this in your own feed, or even over direct message:

"Please tell all the contacts in your Messenger list, not to accept Jayden K. Smith friendship request. He is a hacker and has the system connected to your Facebook account. If one of your contacts accepts it, you will also be hacked, so make sure that all your friends know it. Thanks. Forwarded as received."

While the rumor didn't come out of nowhere, it's likely not anything to be concerned about. According to Snopes.com, which specializes in debunking internet hoaxes, this one in particular is nothing new. Every so often, another rumor will go around that by friending a particular account, you're putting your safety and privacy in jeopardy by making yourself vulnerable to a hack. And while literally anything is possible these days and sure, it's essentially possible that a hacker trick you into downloading a type of botnet or spyware, it wouldn't be simply by accepting a friendship on Facebook. And maybe more importantly, what would a hacker have to gain from accessing random teen's desktops?

Basically what Snopes.com is saying, is that these warnings should be taken with the same amount as precaution as you instill when you receive a chain letter from your aunt which warns that if you don't forward the email to at least 10 people, your dreams won't come true, you'll get some type of incurable disease, and you'll get fired from your job. Essentially, relax, Jayden K. Smith isn't real, isn't interested in what weird things you've got saved on your computer, but just to be safe, don't accept friendships from people you don't know. That's fair, right? And if you ever get a message that asks you to click something, don't do it. It's better to be safe than sorry, of course, but don't bother adding to the silly mayhem by warning your friends about a potential hacker. Help squash it by letting it go.

And while some people have taken to the internet to express their fear over the situation, most are using it as an opportunity to have a good laugh:

By next week, I imagine the Jayden K. Smith memes will be abundant.