Literature Review

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Over 100 years after the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, one TikTok video, discrediting this historical event, tried to share a different story. This one TikTok, amassing over 11 million views and massive support from users, was only 32 seconds long. The video claimed that the Titanic never actually sank, but rather it was swapped with its sister ship, the Olympic, in an attempt to commit insurance fraud (Hsu et al., 2023, p. 3).

Videos like this one are easy to digest due to their short duration and are easily picked up by social media algorithms for people to see.  The virality of this video is not at all uncommon for controversial content, which easily takes advantage of  the aggressive algorithms on short-form social media platforms. 

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Conspiracy theories are becoming increasingly dangerous as they are amassing larger followings. Cult-like followings of these theories is something that has a lot of dangers and the capability to have massive consequences. Social media platforms have created algorithms that inadvertently amplify hate speech, disinformation, and conspiracy theories. (Tareque et al., 2023. p. 350). This research goes on to show how social media can serve as a hub and a breeding ground for misinformation.

Image from The Conversation 

Studies indicate that the addictive nature of short-form content on platforms like TikTok significantly influences user behavior, increasing susceptibility to misinformation and conspiracy theories, especially among users with lower science intelligence or those leaning towards the far right politically (Landrum et al., 2021; Strömbäck et al., 2023).

The addictive qualities of short-form content on platforms such as TikTok facilitate extended engagement and repeated exposure to the same themes and messages, which can reinforce misinformation and conspiratorial beliefs among viewers. This effect is particularly pronounced among users who already have a lower capacity to critically evaluate scientific information or those whose political beliefs make them more receptive to certain narratives.