Conspiracy theories: What are the most popular and why do they spread?
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The research, carried out by the Pears Foundation, also found that 11-18-year-olds have less trust in the government than they do in social media influencers.
The foundation surveyed 2,349 young people and 448 school staff in May/June 2024 to find out about the spread of conspiracy theories in schools, and have just released their findings.
A conspiracy theory is defined as a belief that a secret but influential group is controlling events behind the scenes.
The study found that the most common conspiracy theories that 11-18-year-olds encountered online or in-person were about the moon landing being a hoax and that the earth is flat.
Other popular conspiracy theories were about Covid-19, vaccines and climate change.
Even though the moon landing was the most common conspiracy theory, less than 40% of pupils thought this was a harmful belief, whereas almost 80% thought the conspiracy theory that the Covid vaccine contained microchips was damaging.
It’s important to always question what you see online. Conspiracy theories aren’t necessarily true, with many lacking real evidence, but they can be influential, particularly if they’re being spread by someone you follow on social media.
You should always practice critical thinking and double-check information you find online using reliable and trustworthy sources. This can help to stop the spread of misinformation.
Content retrieved from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z2pbxg8.
