The key to understanding online conspiracy theorists is to understand how the line between fantasy and reality can become blurred.
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Many of those who believe conspiracy theories do not necessarily act on those beliefs. Nevertheless, conspiracy theories can still spread dangerous misinformation that can cause harm.
The latest season of Stranger Things features a town in the grip of a ‘Satanic Panic’. This reflects the very fears that existed in 1980s America, which still exist in different forms today.
Conspiracy theories surrounding the Sandy Hook school shooting continue to reverberate in the US, but now there are legal consequences.
Computational methods could help identify conspiracy theories as they emerge.
Donald Trump said followers of conspiracy theory ‘are very much against pedophilia.’ What he didn’t mention was the demonic imagery and language that peppers QAnon posts.
Researchers have been able to track how radical communities on the fringes of the web essentially manufacture conspiracy theories.
With the rise of internet groups for conspiracy theorists, it may feel like Americans live in a unique time. But conspiracy theories have been common for decades.
There’s never been greater need for the study of what we don’t know, and why we’re not supposed to know it.
Unrestricted access to information is vital to a vibrant democracy.But if this information is inaccurate, biased or falsified, the fundamental freedom of informed choice is denied.
Top contributors
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Professor and Head of Department of Political and Conflict Studies, Nelson Mandela University
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Chercheuse en développement durable, sciences sociales et technologie, Grenoble École de Management (GEM)
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Full professor, Grenoble École de Management (GEM)
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Professor of the Practice of Data Science, Washington University in St Louis
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Professor of Danish Literature and Culture, University of California, Berkeley
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Department of Media & Culture, Faculty of Humanities, University of Amsterdam
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Chair and Professor of Religious Studies, Radford University
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PhD Student, Philosophy, Dalhousie University
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Assistant Professor of Journalism, University of Connecticut
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Research fellow, Australian Catholic University
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Philosophy, University of Toronto
