How to Spot Conspiracy Theories and What to Know
1. Know how conspiracy theories work
Conspiracy theories are fictional stories that cherry-pick “evidence.” They are often told in entertaining ways, especially on social media, using pictures, video clips, audio, and statistics that are made up or taken out of context to hook viewers.
2. Watch out for claims that appear to deflect blame or stoke fear and anger against a particular group of people
Conspiracy theories use narratives that are meant to sound scary and stoke fear. They try to explain why bad things happen in the world by blaming some sinister plot, usually by a particular group of people, a government, or a public figure.
For example, one of the conspiracies the Buffalo shooting suspect believed in called the “Great Replacement theory,” falsely claims that the immigration of people of color is a coordinated effort to replace white people in what believers consider a white genocide. In that way, conspiracy theories allow believers to avoid blaming themselves for personal decisions that may have led to negative consequences, politicians they support who may not actually act in the best interest of voters, or socioeconomic inequities that put them at a disadvantage.
3. Keep in mind that there are entire online communities built to promote conspiracy theories
Conspiracy communities often attract believers who feel isolated and alone in their own lives. They give people a group of like-minded individuals to talk to and make people feel like a special member of a club that has access to information they believe is hidden or unique. And, especially during times of isolation or crisis, that can be powerful. For example, QAnon started with an anonymous account in 2017 posting conspiracy theories on the fringe message board 4Chan under the name ‘Q.’ As of 2021, approximately 16% of Americans believed the QAnon conspiracy that “the government, media and financial worlds are controlled by Satan-worshiping pedophiles,” according to the Public Religion Research Institute.
How to Avoid Conspiracy Theories:
Educate yourself and make sure to share accurate information from reputable sources
Increasingly, we are relying on other people, like influencers, to filter through the vast amounts of news and information each day to tell us what is important. Conspiracy theories promote the idea that traditional sources of information, such as actual experts who have studied and worked in their relevant career fields or reputable news outlets that employ people like fact-checkers, seasoned reporters, and editors to ensure accuracy, are trying to hide the truth from people and cannot be trusted; some may even argue that this article meant to help readers avoid falling for conspiracy theories is an effort to prevent people from finding out what they believe is “the real truth.” That is one of the ways people peddling conspiracies destroy trust in accurate sources in hopes that you will believe them instead.
Conspiracy theories are fictional stories that cherry-pick “evidence.” They are often told in entertaining ways, especially on social media, using pictures, video clips, audio, and statistics that are made up or taken out of context to hook viewers.
2. Watch out for claims that appear to deflect blame or stoke fear and anger against a particular group of people
Conspiracy theories use narratives that are meant to sound scary and stoke fear. They try to explain why bad things happen in the world by blaming some sinister plot, usually by a particular group of people, a government, or a public figure.
For example, one of the conspiracies the Buffalo shooting suspect believed in called the “Great Replacement theory,” falsely claims that the immigration of people of color is a coordinated effort to replace white people in what believers consider a white genocide. In that way, conspiracy theories allow believers to avoid blaming themselves for personal decisions that may have led to negative consequences, politicians they support who may not actually act in the best interest of voters, or socioeconomic inequities that put them at a disadvantage.
3. Keep in mind that there are entire online communities built to promote conspiracy theories
Conspiracy communities often attract believers who feel isolated and alone in their own lives. They give people a group of like-minded individuals to talk to and make people feel like a special member of a club that has access to information they believe is hidden or unique. And, especially during times of isolation or crisis, that can be powerful. For example, QAnon started with an anonymous account in 2017 posting conspiracy theories on the fringe message board 4Chan under the name ‘Q.’ As of 2021, approximately 16% of Americans believed the QAnon conspiracy that “the government, media and financial worlds are controlled by Satan-worshiping pedophiles,” according to the Public Religion Research Institute.
How to Avoid Conspiracy Theories:
Educate yourself and make sure to share accurate information from reputable sources
Increasingly, we are relying on other people, like influencers, to filter through the vast amounts of news and information each day to tell us what is important. Conspiracy theories promote the idea that traditional sources of information, such as actual experts who have studied and worked in their relevant career fields or reputable news outlets that employ people like fact-checkers, seasoned reporters, and editors to ensure accuracy, are trying to hide the truth from people and cannot be trusted; some may even argue that this article meant to help readers avoid falling for conspiracy theories is an effort to prevent people from finding out what they believe is “the real truth.” That is one of the ways people peddling conspiracies destroy trust in accurate sources in hopes that you will believe them instead.
