Technology and Conspiracy Theories

The Apollo Moon Landing Hoax. Area 51 UFO Conspiracies. The Roswell Incident. The urban legend of the Kidney Thief. Chemtrails. The 9/11 Conspiracy. A person could spend all day researching conspiracy theories and “proof” of urban legends. There is so much information out there, and it's all available at the click of a button. It used to be that conspiracy theories relied on word-of-mouth to spread the story. Then it advanced to monthly newsletters and underground radio broadcasts. It has all become so much easier with the internet.

Many people do not see a problem with this. “What's the harm in speculation?” they might say. It seems to me that conspiracy theories are abounding now that we have the internet. My professor, Dr. Suzanne Waldenburger says, “The best thing about the Internet is that ANYONE can get their information out to millions of people. And the worst thing about the Internet is that any BOZO can get their misinformation out to millions of people.” The internet truly can be a great resource. It is easy to find information about just about anything. I use Google search all the time when I'm looking for any random piece of information. The information is well organized and easy to use. I can almost always find the information I need on the first page of recommendations. That nagging question of “who is that?” while watching a movie no longer has to be nagging. Just open up Google and search for the movie. It invariably takes you to IMDB which lists the whole cast of the movie. Ta da! Question answered.

So is this dangerous, this motherlode of misinformation at our fingertips? David Aaronovich, author of Voodoo Histories: The Role of Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History, says yes. “They divert us from real threats. Fruit-loop perorations about explosives concealed in the elevator shafts of the World Trade Center distract Americans from the "un"imaginary conspiracy by Islamic fundamentalists to destroy us. And if the feds really blew up the levees during Hurricane Katrina, there's no need to examine the emergency preparedness of New Orleans' government, is there?” When looked at it this way, these conspiracy theories can be dangerous.

I firmly believe in educating oneself, however. Knowledge taken from credible sources really can be power. It can give someone control, even if it's merely control over one's own decisions. This can apply to many things, but the main ones I've seen are in medical decisions and political choices. These are two places where conspiracy theories abound. These are also the same choices where being informed is key. Perhaps conspiracy theories can play a role in helping people to understand they cannot take anyone's word for truth. They must do their own research. Hopefully they will find their information from credible sources and not the links I've provided.