Verified by 
Our country is currently more divided than ever before. We’re separated by political parties, by race, by geography, and by economics. Instead of being “e pluribus unum” (out of many, one), we are now just the opposite, “e unum pluribus.” Our only movement these days seems to be centrifugal.
In trying to understand the reasons for this dramatic national split, a term that comes up, again and again, is “conspiracy theories.” And conspiracy theories are everywhere! Why are they so prevalent, and why are they such a problem?
A good place to begin our questions is with Marshall McLuhan.
McLuhan was a Canadian communications theorist (1911 - 1980). He lived before the advent of the internet and social media, but he nonetheless had a deep understanding of them. His most famous book was “Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man.”
His signature thought was, “The medium is the message.” By which he meant that the medium any particular message was transmitted by was as important as the message itself. Sometimes even more so!
For example, If you send a simple one-sentence message by telegraph, the transmission is completed once it clicks into its telegraphic destination. It’s probably not going anywhere else. The telegraphic medium doesn't facilitate further movement.
Now imagine that you send that same message on social media. In this medium, once the message arrives at its destination, it may just be getting started. The reason is that social media is such a phenomenally different medium. It has a fantastic global network of millions of people that it can access almost instantly. Messages sent to one person on Facebook can, and often will, be sent off to other destinations, sometimes many more times.
There are two other important facts to know about social media: Its business model and its algorithms.
The business model:
The business model of Facebook, YouTube, and other social media platforms is quite straightforward, but it has an unexpected twist. The straightforward part involves clicks. The more clicks an item or a site receives, the more money the social media site can charge advertisers.
The unexpected twist is this: An abundance of data shows that people tend to click on things that anger or frighten them. For the reason behind this phenomenon, blame sabertooth tigers.
In our distant, early-human past, we shared our environment with animal predators. Those early ancestors of ours whose neurons alerted them to danger lived to pass on their DNA to us.
Many generations later, our neurons are still on the lookout for danger. But on the internet, the things that anger, frighten, or seem dangerous to us tend to be items about the opposite political party. So we often click on those.
How algorithms bolster the business model:
Algorithms are complex symbolic formulas that respond to particular data by performing some pre-determined function. Algorithms direct much of the flow of information on social media.
Algorithms fulfill the social media business model in the following way:
Suppose I click on a Facebook post about the Democrats that makes me mad. Facebook's algorithm, noting my click, will then put another item in my feed about Democrats, designed to make me even madder. The algorithm keeps upping the ante in subsequent postings, to keep me clicking. And voila! Once you get enough of these items, they can clump together into a conspiracy theory.
And, when people are angry or scared enough by an item, or a conspiracy theory, they often send it to other people. Those people, in turn, send it to still more. And the process can continue indefinitely—generating ever more clicks for Facebook.
But there are dangerous consequences.
Dr. Nina Jankowicz, of the Wilson Center Science and Technology Innovation Program, issued a strong indictment of the dangers of such social media marketing programs. She warned, “People of all backgrounds are being “indoctrinated” and “sucked into” believing conspiracy theories on social media platforms where algorithms suggest increasingly extreme content to users.”
Conspiracy theories are dangerous. They are virtually all untrue and based on misinformation. They also have the effect of actively dividing our country, and as Abraham Lincoln once wisely stated, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
What can we do as individuals?
Here are some pointers to help you counteract the dangers of conspiracy theories:
- Make an effort to avoid all conspiracy theories wherever you see them. They are lies, and as such can be a very destructive force in our country today. In many cases, they are putting democracy at risk.
- Any time you see an item on the internet that makes you angry or afraid, beware! The item may be a plant by a social media algorithm designed to lead you into a conspiracy theory. It may be wise to be extremely wary.
- Practice gratitude and thankfulness at all times. This attitude will protect you from the negative mindset that leads to embracing conspiracy theories.
- Practice kindness.
- Honor truthfulness and pursue it at all times and in all situations.
Truth is the great light we have been entrusted with, to shine out into the night and dispel the darkness of disinformation and conspiracy.
© David Evans
