Where do we go from here? How can we agree on a common reality, much less debate the politics of what to do next?
Much of the time here on forums such as these is wasted on debunking silly conspiracy theories. It would be great to be debating ideas and policies and their potential impacts on society, but instead we are forced to disprove things like whether President Biden is now a robot.
It's got to the stage where whole alternative worlds of facts have been built up in large sections of the populations. That means we can't even comprehend each other any more. Scientific research gives us insights as to why people think like this, but is there a way forward for more of us to agree on what's real and what's not?
Surely some way of combating the prevalence of easily disprovable conspiracy theories is a start. It's now classified more of an addiction than mental illness, as addicts seek stimulation to alter their brain state. Excerpt from an article on conspiracy theory addiction below:
Conspiracy theory addiction is a behavioral addiction that can have a hidden impact on the way you perceive events and has been linked to having more negative attitudes. Rather than helping one cope with their negative feelings, the belief in conspiracy theories can create a cycle of distrust and disempowerment. As a person encounters different sources, it is important to be able to analyze the information and distinguish between false theories and real threats.
People who strongly believe in conspiracy theories and become addicted may experience some of the following:
Feeling anxious or fearful for no particular reason.
Feeling a loss of control.
A need to make sense of complex topics or unrelated events, even with little or no topical knowledge.
Low self-esteem.
Strong urge to make connections between a series of unrelated events or behaviors.
Belief in paranormal explanations for scientific phenomenon.
A sense of not belonging or isolation.
A great alienation, disengagement, or disaffection from society
Why Do People Believe in Conspiracy Theories? Conspiracy theories occur when people create links between one or more unrelated events, emerging from the need for the human brain to find “patterns”. New research also shows that people with certain personality traits such as low self-esteem are more likely to have a conspiracy theory addiction. Researchers have studied the different reasons why people believe in conspiracy theories and many of the explanations include the following factors:
