I have been on just about every side of conspiracy theories throughout my life. Even conspiracy theories about conspiracy theories. This is a rare look at the topic that encompasses the history of them and has experts with a variety of points of view. The intro covers a broad range, including how a kernel of truth gets a theory started, and feeds back into the lies. Then they focus on UFOs, which is a good choice because of the high percentage of people who feel strongly about them, and the science involved.
https://youtu.be/IhE-qSDjycM?si=m2ERjT6yP5cpfz-1
At 19:30, they talk about social media. It has taken us far from the days of JFK assassination theories and bad Sasquatch videos. The impact of the social media algorithms can lead you toward the click-bait about some mysterious new evidence.
And they influence the political world. They reference Tristan Harris, a “Tech Ethicist”, whatever that is. He said, “You have to appeal to the Facebook algorithm to get elected.” That is frightening to me. It controls more than media and news, and it drills down to the individual. As one of the panel points out, it (social media) sounds like a conspiracy theory. This is the problem discussed at the beginning, that some conspiracy theories have evidence and can uncover conspiracies.
The good news, there is evidence that with more information, we can break into illogical thinking. It takes breaking through something that is not just about the information. At 24:30, “For many, believing in conspiracy theories isn’t just about believing information. It’s about identity, justice, and a deep-seated need to feel seen and protected from harm.” Matthew Facciani
https://cup.columbia.edu/book/misguided/9780231555814/
Joel Schectman and Aruna Viswanatha starts at 26. Interesting study on UFOs and how the government handled them. They managed to get the government to fess up to some of their misdirection. Or, is this study itself more misdirection?