Don’t Fall Victim to Conspiracies

In a world dominated by the internet, it is easier than ever to fall victim to misinformation. Conspiracy theorists, cults, and even people close to you all use similar tactics to persuade you. 

So the burning question is: how do you defend yourself?

First off, fear unites people. It’s one of the easiest ways to get people on your side. Whether they're afraid of 5G, Bigfoot, or aliens leaving intricate crop circles, people tend to gather when scared. Conspiracy theorists take advantage of this by linking together loosely related facts and coincidences to get people on their side. An example of this would be COVID-19 and 5G emerging at around the same time. These two events sparked conspiracy theories about a possible relation between the two, despite there being no evidence regarding the link. To escape falling for something like this, you must be aware of your fears and remove yourself from conversations in which they are targeted.

Now you have a way to avoid a conspiratorial conversation, but there are other red flags to be on the lookout for: if no solid evidence can be provided to support their claims, conspiracy theorists often use big names and false authority figures that supposedly agree with their views. Usually, a Google search will be proof enough that said figure lacks credentials, and in some cases, doesn’t even exist. Another tactic to be aware of is special pleading. This is when someone purposely avoids and works around evidence that might disprove their theory. According to RationalWiki.com,  Russell's Teapot is an analogy that describes a miniature china teapot that orbits around the sun, too small to be seen by the most powerful telescopes. With no other way to prove its existence, there is also no way to disprove it. In the eyes of a believer the claim can never be falsified. So, what is the best way to deal with this?  Bring up the fact that their claims are unfalsifiable. 

graphic by bella alimenti

Working as a Gas Boy at Pier 1000, Drew Kelleher, 12, has had too many conspiracy theories pitched at him to count. “These rich boat owners have a new end of the world theory every time they visit,” Drew said. “They love to target religion, and their arguments project situations as very black and white. Once they gather up in little groups, they all feed into these crazy ideas.”

This is an example of using fear and an “us vs. them” mentality to scare people into believing something completely irrational.