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Opinion: We're taking the wrong approach to counteracting #ConspiracyTheories - Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-07-28/conspiracy-theories-trump-assassination-qanon “ardent #conspiracy theory adopters seldom have a desire to be accurately informed. #Belief in the unbelievable, in many cases, stems from desperation to meet fundamental human needs, such as feeling valued and having a purpose. (1/4)
Over the last three years, while interviewing hundreds of #disinformation-splintered families, it has become clear to me that facts alone can’t fix this. The solution begins with treating conspiracy theory obsession not as a sickness but as a symptom.” (2/4)
“Conspiracy-theory-entranced seniors have described .. how, before adopting a QAnon-like brand of what some called “activism,” they felt as if society no longer valued or had use for them. Facing what experts have identified as an “epidemic of loneliness,” they yearned for purpose, community and fulfillment.” (3/4)
“We’re living in a moment where a slew of critical stressors, including an unprecedented election season and an artificial intelligence boom, are fueling a tsunami of disinformation and leaving many of us mentally and emotionally compromised. As more Americans turn to conspiracy theories to cope, we must remind ourselves that we can’t do away with delusions that meet people’s fundamental needs by simply debunking them. We need to focus on the cause, not the symptom” (4/4)
I’m only about a chapter or two into The Quiet Damage by Jesselyn Cook and it has been a phenomenal read so far… the article doesn’t do her research/reporting justice.
@dw Thanks.