Conspiracy theories alter the perceptions of many people by shifting their previously held beliefs of reality to “unthinkable” underlying debatable truths. With modern day technology advances exposing us to an endless amount of news, stories, and theories, people are surrounded with false information that can be absorbed and believed by influence and repetition. Without even trying, they are fed this plethora of information that no one really knows the accuracy behind. Conspiracy theories are considered one of the most prominent issues that are leading society to be skeptical in the communities’ individual beliefs. Conspiracy theories can be created or authored about almost any event or occurrence whose details or facts are inconclusive or
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This realization of an alternative explanation forces the individual to abandon their previously held beliefs and in turn accept the information they are told as facts. Once an individual believes a conspiracy theory may be factual, anything that supports it will become their new beliefs. As their new beliefs are formed, they share them with others and the cycle continues in that pattern. Nevertheless, the real question stands as to why conspiracy theories even came about or why people believe that they aren’t being told the truth. People are so quick to believe that conspiracy theories are true because the government has been proven to be dishonest in the past, people have high levels of self-uncertainty, and people use it as forms of …show more content…
Jan-Willem Van Prooijen formed a study that claimed that “social cues suggesting either inclusion or exclusion by others influence conspiracy beliefs particularly among people who experience uncertainty about the self” (Prooijen 2). Van Prooijen’s research has shown that people’s need to feel included or excluded influences their self-worth and the things that they do to show it. It reveals how when people have high levels of self-uncertainty, they strive to feel a sense of belongingness. This sense of belongingness makes it easier for them to be susceptible to believing when hearing things about conspiracy theories. On the other hand, it also reveals how people that are self-certain do not get affected by these things “as they have a less suspicious mindset in the first place, and their identity is less sensitive to social signals that suggest acceptance or rejection by others” (Prooijen 3). The self-certain people will be less susceptible to believing the conspiracy theories because they don’t feel the need to fit in and are better at making their own inferences. Therefore, people that have high levels of self-uncertainty are more likely to believe conspiracies are true. Another example of high levels of uncertainty in the individual would be the actions and reactions towards the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black lives matter movement is a movement that was created in
This realization of an alternative explanation forces the individual to abandon their previously held beliefs and in turn accept the information they are told as facts. Once an individual believes a conspiracy theory may be factual, anything that supports it will become their new beliefs. As their new beliefs are formed, they share them with others and the cycle continues in that pattern. Nevertheless, the real question stands as to why conspiracy theories even came about or why people believe that they aren’t being told the truth. People are so quick to believe that conspiracy theories are true because the government has been proven to be dishonest in the past, people have high levels of self-uncertainty, and people use it as forms of …show more content…
Jan-Willem Van Prooijen formed a study that claimed that “social cues suggesting either inclusion or exclusion by others influence conspiracy beliefs particularly among people who experience uncertainty about the self” (Prooijen 2). Van Prooijen’s research has shown that people’s need to feel included or excluded influences their self-worth and the things that they do to show it. It reveals how when people have high levels of self-uncertainty, they strive to feel a sense of belongingness. This sense of belongingness makes it easier for them to be susceptible to believing when hearing things about conspiracy theories. On the other hand, it also reveals how people that are self-certain do not get affected by these things “as they have a less suspicious mindset in the first place, and their identity is less sensitive to social signals that suggest acceptance or rejection by others” (Prooijen 3). The self-certain people will be less susceptible to believing the conspiracy theories because they don’t feel the need to fit in and are better at making their own inferences. Therefore, people that have high levels of self-uncertainty are more likely to believe conspiracies are true. Another example of high levels of uncertainty in the individual would be the actions and reactions towards the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black lives matter movement is a movement that was created in