Blog post 7- Conspiracy Theories
THE MOON LANDING WAS FAKE!!! Is an example of a crazy conspiracy theory, thinking that the government fooled our eyes into thinking a man could land on the moon. Conspiracy theories have been around for centuries, and have only grown in popularity in recent years. A conspiracy theory is an explanation of an event or situation that suggests that there is a secret, hidden explanation for it, usually involving some kind of nefarious plot by a group of people. These plots are often seen as being in opposition to the interests of the general public, such as the moon landing being fake, princess diana’s death not being an accident, or 9/11 being an inside job. This teen vogue article discusses some of the topics of conspiracy theories that I have brought up so far so check them out!
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/most-popular-conspiracy-theories
Conspiracy theories are curated by random people and can take such a huge toll that people without the education background and stats may actually believe them. One of the key components of conspiracy theories is the idea of “us vs. them.” ( as mentioned in Comm 2F00 lecture) This mentality creates a sense of unity among those who believe in the theory and a sense of opposition to those who do not. This mentality can be seen in many different conspiracy theories, including the #stopthegreatreset movement, which argues that a small group of elites is trying to use the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to gain more power and control over the world. This theory was huge during the pandemic even leading people to not want to be vaccinated or think that they are putting trackers in us through the vaccine as a way to control us. The article titled the "Physcology of conspiracy theories" helped me better understand the ideas of conspiracy theories and why they are created if you want to check it out!
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0963721417718261
As well here is a link to an article explaining the stop the great reset movement, and why it is untrue
Conspiracy theories do not have to be logical for people to believe them, for example another popular conspiracy theory is QAnon. QAnon claims that a secret cabal of politicians, celebrities, and other powerful people are involved in a worldwide child trafficking ring. The theory suggests that President Trump is working to expose and dismantle this ring and that he is being hindered by the mainstream media and other institutions. This is ridiculous in theory but in execution and mainstream media spread of information, many people believe theories like this and think of them as a reality instead of a theory. Check out this New York Times article exploring the Qanon.
https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-is-qanon.html
One of the reasons why conspiracy theories have become so popular in recent years is due to a growing mistrust in traditional institutions, such as the government and the media. Many people feel that these institutions have failed them and are no longer trustworthy sources of information. As a result, they turn to alternative sources of information, such as social media and YouTube. YouTube, in particular, has become a hotbed for conspiracy theories. YouTubers like Shane Dawson have amassed large followers by promoting conspiracy theories and other controversial ideas. These YouTubers often present their ideas as being “the truth” and claim to have insider information that the mainstream media is not reporting. In other words, claiming that they know of people in the illuminati and can prove these theories to be true. A huge theory that Shane Dawson has touched on recently was about facial recognition working with a camera cover on an I phone. The video I linked below will help you gain a better understanding of conspiracy theories! Check it out.
This theory projected the idea of the government watching common folk like us, and being interested in our daily lives. While conspiracy theories give us something cool to think of in our spare time and can be thought provoking, it is important to approach them with a critical eye. This goes hand in hand with our next topic in week 8 discussing fake news. Check out the links throughout this blog for more information as well as the video and article listed below! See you next week.
Ted Talk: Birds arent real? How a conspiracy theory takes place
Understanding conspiracy theories by Douglas
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