The most popular conspiracy theories can often help people explain complex and turbulent events
Providence-Daniel Roberts has not been vaccinated since he was 6 years old. He did not receive any booster doses or tetanus injections. His parents believed that vaccination was dangerous. When the coronavirus arrived, they thought it was a hoax and that the vaccine was a real danger.
So when the 29-year-old man from Tennessee received the Covid-19 vaccine at his local Walmart last month, he felt it was an achievement and he was out of touch with the past.
“This country has killed half a million people. Roberts said, referring to the conspiracy theory of family and friends.
As the world is fighting Covid-19, psychologists and misinformation experts are studying why the epidemic has generated so many conspiracy theories that lead people to avoid wearing masks, stay away from society and get vaccinated.
They see the link between their false beliefs about Covid-19 and their reliance on social media as a source of news and information.
So experts concluded that conspiracy theories continue to provide a false sense of empowerment. By providing secret or hidden explanations, they give people who believe in themselves a sense of control in situations that are accidental or scary.
These findings not only correspond to the impact on the pandemic, but also on the “information epidemic”, which is a term used to describe the Covd-19 misinformation crisis.
A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center in June showed that about a quarter of Americans believed that the pandemic was “absolutely” or “probably” deliberately caused.
Other conspiracy theories focus on economic constraints and vaccine safety. Although more and more facts prove that their unfounded claims cause problems in the real world.
When the truth is too unacceptable, the most popular conspiracy theories can often help people explain complex and turbulent events.
These theories usually appear after an important or terrifying moment in history: the moon landing, the September 11 attack, or the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Attracting our species to conspiracy theory can be more challenging. Experts say that teaching critical thinking and media knowledge in schools is crucial because the Internet has become a source of news.
“The only truth is education. Helen Lee Bouygues, founder and president of the Reboot Foundation, said: “Covid-19 has shown us how dangerous dangerous misinformation and conspiracy theories are. In connection with this, we still have a lot of work to do. . “Promote critical thinking in the Internet age.
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