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What is a conspiracy theory/what are some examples?
A conspiracy theory is “a belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for a circumstance or event.” Essentially, they are beliefs about a person, event, etc. that can, at times, be considered controversial by society. The first example of a conspiracy theory is the theory that the 1969 moon landing was faked. Some of the beliefs that surrounded this theory was that instead of the footage being filmed on the moon, it was instead filmed by director Stanley Kubrick in a studio. The reason why some people believe this is because of the “space race” between the United States and Russia during that time, so therefore the US “faked” it to stay ahead. Another popular conspiracy theory is that instead of the Earth having a spherical shape, it is actually flat. Some of the beliefs surrounding this theory are that the Earth is flat, with an ice wall surrounding the edges, and that pictures of Earth are not actually real.
What are the most controversial conspiracy theories?
Conspiracy theories can range from insignificant to very controversial. To begin, one of the most controversial conspiracy theories is the theory that the Holocaust never happened. This is certainly not true by any means. Those who do believe it, however, believe that it either never happened, or that it did not happen to the extent that it did. In 2014, a survey was conducted, and it concluded that of 53,000 people surveyed, only 30% believed that everything that is taught about the Holocaust is accurate. Another controversial theory is that Princess Diana’s death was not an accident, and that the Royal Family had a hand in it. People believe this because of the time gap between the accident and her arrival at the hospital, and how an eyewitness claimed to have seen a bright flash before the limo crashed. Another controversial theory is that the CIA had something to do with the death of former president John F. Kennedy. People believe this due to the failure of the overthrowing of Fidel Castro, and that the CIA was angry about this. The person that killed him was also killed not long after.
How do conspiracy theories affect society?
Conspiracy theories definitely affect society in different ways. With the arrival of the Internet and different social media platforms, more and more people have these ideas at their fingertips. It is much easier to access, and therefore ideas are able to spread at a much faster rate than before. People believe in conspiracy theories in order to have answers they are satisfied with to a question with an answer that they are not satisfied with. Big events like the Holocaust, 9/11, etc. attract many conspiracy theorists due to many not being satisfied with the answers given to them about why they happened. Essentially, they give people the feeling that they know the “truth”.
How are conspiracy theories able to gain believers?
It is incredibly simple for conspiracy theories to gain believers from all over the world. The Internet has definitely had a hand in making conspiracy theories and ways of communicating about them more accessible to the public. Some sources that people use can be considered unreliable, and contain information that has not been confirmed to be true. This is where many can access conspiracy theories.
How did the concept of conspiracy theories begin?
Contrary to popular belief, the concept of conspiracy theories did not begin with the Internet or the arrival of social media. Although these things made them more accessible, they were not responsible for the beginning of them. The occurrences of conspiracy theories in America began not long after its creation, when some people started believing that the Illuminati was going to overthrow the republic that they had established. Later on in 1831, a theory arose that the leader of Austria would be responsible for the arrival of numbers of Catholics in the United States. Interestingly, this idea was brought about by Samuel Morse, the creator of the telegraph.
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