I found an extremely bizarre internet survey.

Everybody’s heard the stories about how you can make a fair amount of cash on some supposedly secret government websites by just answering some surveys. I never really put stock into such things, but when I found myself jobless and in dire need of something to occupy myself until I found something, I decided to do some digging. After a while, I found a Reddit post with a link, and it seemed like it was too good to pass up.<br><br>I sat in my bed clicking next on the various questions that they asked me, barely even reading them at that point. The questions were really asinine, and I couldn’t help but think of those scam calls where they ask you confirm that you’re letting them steal your identity and what not. <br><br>As I got to the end of the survey, they told me to confirm my email address to receive the money. I did this, expecting nothing in return, but when I checked my email I was shocked. There it was, $250 in my bank account, from a company that I had never heard of. <br><br>The next day, I logged back onto the website. It was a simple affair, clicking the same boxes over and over. I was given the same amount of money at the end of the survey, and I figured that this was something I could do for quite a while, especially as I was still out of work. <br><br>Days turned into weeks, and I did the surveys. Every single day, I logged onto that website and took those goddamn surveys. It was enough to keep me afloat, and it didn’t take much time out of my day. I even thought that I had been foolish to not do this sooner.<br><br>After about three months, I noticed some odd questions. I thought nothing of this, chalking it up to boredom from doing the same thing over and over for so long. There was a question about how strong I would say that I am physically. There was another that asked about my most terrifying life experience. <br><br>At the time, I thought that these were just questions to find out about my personality. Maybe they were even to figure out what ads would show up when I finished the survey. I didn’t really care, I answered the questions and collected the money. <br><br>These questions started getting more frequent, including questions about what I would do in certain situations, or how I would react certain ways. I started being asked about what I would consider to be my biggest flaws. What kept me up at night. What I thought about aliens. How I felt about the moon.<br><br>I was even asked what I thought about the survey. That one struck me as particularly odd, but I answered that I enjoyed it and am happy for the money. It wasn’t entirely a lie, I literally wouldn’t have been able to keep a roof over my head otherwise. <br><br>The questions didn’t stop coming. In fact, they got more and more frequent. In a twenty one question survey, fifteen might be about how I’m not as strong as I think I am, or that I’m letting my family down by remaining jobless. <br><br>At first, it was just an annoyance. I clicked through them, answering what I thought was the right answer. I remember the exact moment that I snapped, however. There was a survey of twenty one questions, and all but one asked if I truly believed that I had any redeeming qualities. <br><br>I was so pissed off after finishing that survey that I deleted the link. I had other job offers on the table, and I thought that I could handle not having that extra burden on my mind. <br><br>I didn’t even make it a week. I got the most awful feeling of emptiness, like I hadn’t finished something important. I found myself on the website before I even realized what I was doing. <br><br>I took the surveys, even crying as I answered the questions about how worthless I was. I told myself that even though I was worthless, at least I had the money to provide for my family. <br><br>I was barely even reading the questions at this point, but one caught my eye. Why did I stop taking the surveys? <br><br>I cried as I clicked “I don’t know”.<br><br>I wish I had the willpower to not take the surveys. I wish that I had never taken that goddamn survey. <br><br>[EDIT] I’ve gotten lots of messages asking for the link to the survey. I deleted it, but I can try to find it again. I will tell you that I have received no more money from taking the surveys since I stopped the first time.