"Is This Really the Size?" Outrage Over Bite-Sized Burgers... But There's a Twist

Actual Size Remains the Same... Experts Cite "Mandela Effect"
Some Chinese Media Also Report "Burgers Have Shrunk"

A Chinese netizen posted a McDonald's hamburger saying "It looks like a macaron." Screenshot from SNS

Recently, reviews claiming that the size of McDonald's burgers in China has decreased have sparked a wave of criticism from Chinese consumers. One netizen posted on social media, saying the burger was almost as small as a macaron, and as many others shared similar experiences, the sentiment quickly spread.

However, a blogger who conducted an actual experiment found that the burger size had not actually decreased. Despite this, posts expressing agreement with the original claim continue to appear. Some experts analyze this phenomenon as the 'Mandela Effect,' where many people share the same false memory.

On January 19, the online media outlet Oddity Central reported, "The topic of McDonald's hamburgers and macarons is trending on social media in China." The report noted that McDonald's, a major corporation, is being criticized for raising burger prices while allegedly reducing their size.

An online post comparing a McDonald's hamburger, a hand, and an egg. SNS screenshot

One netizen posted a complaint saying the McDonald's hamburger they purchased was the size of a macaron. The Chinese consumer magazine 'Consumer Daily' and Sina News Agency also reported that the diameter of the McDonald's Double Cheeseburger is only 8 centimeters, and that the Grilled Chicken Burger patty has become 30 percent thinner than before.

A McDonald's China spokesperson explained, "The size of the hamburger in the original photo that started this trend is simply an optical illusion."