A TikToker found a strange note inside a box of Crystal Light and didn’t know what to do with it. In a video with over 1.4 million views, @medich3ll asked for help deciphering a note with a variety of symbols on it.
Commenters quickly identified the note, saying, “It’s a Schuylkill note!”
What even is a Schuylkill note?
Schuylkill notes are small pieces of paper that have a variety of written symbols and conspiracy theories on them. They’re typically found in the northeast from Pennsylvania all the way to Maryland. However, no one really knows who prints them or why they do. They’re named after Schuylkill County, a spot where many residents have found them in their groceries. Schuylkill County News reported on the issue in 2020, when many of these messages appeared in a huge surge.
@medich3ll confirmed that they live in Pennsylvania in one comment, adding that they’re centrally located in the state.
The notes possibly contain abbreviated messages that tell the reader which companies and organizations have secret societies. Many people think that it could be one person leaving the notes. Or it could be many who are leaving them in packaging.
@CTRLShiftZy.TheSimmer asserts, “They’re basically saying that there’s a hidden elite controlling everything — using religion, corporations, war, and symbols to brainwash the world…”
Reddit theories
The subreddit r/schuylkillnotes has many theories about the origins of the notes. One of the most agreed upon theories is that one mentally unwell person has been leaving the notes across the North East. u/moonferal thinks that “It’s a schizophrenic person that, due to their illness, feels the need to spread the word about paranoid conspiracies. When you think like this, it becomes obsessive and you feel compulsively as though you have to spread the word.”
Others think that a person is using AI to randomly generate words and symbols associated with companies and groups. This is either because they are unwell or trying to spread a message about deeper conspiracies in the world.
Some users made a map of areas where the notes have been found, indicating that the messages aren’t spread out and could be the work of one person. While some people think that a group may be responsible, the overall consensus is that one person could be dropping these messages in various areas around their home.
The Mary Sue has reached out to @medich3ll via TikTok direct message for comment.
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