Do You Believe?

Blog by Abby Grace Shrader

The Titanic was sunk for insurance money. Beyonce runs the New World Order. The Moon landing was fake. Bigfoot is real. Hitler faked his death. The Earth is flat. 

These are just some of the conspiracy theories that run rampant on the internet today. 

A quick Google search will tell you that a conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that suggests the existence of a conspiracy when other explanations are more probable. Most of the time, these theories promote the idea that there is a higher evil at play. Something bad happens? Well that just means the Illuminati did it. A prominent member of society dies? That means the government killed them. Some people believe that this is a way people cope with unfortunate events. It is sometimes easier to understand something when you can pin the blame on someone else. The more out of reach or mysterious this bigger evil, the easier it is to put it off on them. Some would argue that this instinct to blame is adaptive. We as humans do not necessarily want to trust everyone and everything that is conspiring (haha, get it?) around us. 

Some big conspiracy theories have been around for a long time. People have always believed in conspiracy theories. In a way, people are wired to be suspicious of potentially hostile individuals. There was definitely a spike in conspiracy theories when Covid was at its height, especially regarding vaccines. Some conspiracists believed that big pharma was lying about the risks involving vaccines, as well as withholding information. Then it seems that conspiracists get especially rowdy when election time comes around. 

Some of the most popular conspiracy theories include the JFK assassination, a 9/11 coverup, Area 51 and aliens, and pretty much every aspect of the CIA. 

Some people fear that the internet has caused conspiracy theories to multiply. For the first time in history, a person can have their idea shared to millions of people in a matter of seconds. The craziest part is, you can say absolutely anything. Odds are, the people watching your video or reading your tweet are not going to fact check you. They will just take your word for whatever information you spit out as long as it is shocking enough to sound true. Misinformation is the fuel behind the fire that is conspiracy theories. 

Most of the time, people become consumed by the theories they hear online. They want to hear more about it, find more information. The problem with that is that when you google “JFK assignation conspiracy” you are not met by credible websites debunking theories. Instead, your screen is filled with articles from sketchy websites only giving you information that will support the idea that you are already hooked on. If you are not given alternative information, then you will simply double down on the conspiracy. Thus, conspiracy theories are a cycle that never ends. The world is so big, you can find anyone who will agree with you, no matter how wacky or wild the thought seems. In a way, this gives people a community that they may not otherwise have. Is it better to be alone, or surrounded by people willing to support your theories, no matter how outlandish they are? While some conspiracy theories are incredibly dangerous for promoting harmful ideas, sometimes they help people feel secure in a world where power is so frequently out of our control. 

So maybe the moon landing was fake. You’ll have no problem finding refuge in people who believe either way.