Conspiracy belief rates may be stable while their reach has exploded

Evidence

If this is correct, then the massive global challenges we’re facing represent the perfect breeding ground for conspiracy theories. In fact, what is clear is that the internet and social media have allowed the social transmission of conspiracy theories to flourish, enter the mainstream, and spread in new and unprecedented ways. When asked during an interview on Hot Ones (the YouTube show where celebrities answer questions while eating increasingly spicy chicken wings) whether more and more people believe in conspiracy theories, Neil deGrasse Tyson replied: ‘I think that number of people may be the same over time, they just now can write a blog that the whole world has access to via a search engine.’ Although the hot sauce was clearly getting to him, Neil’s observation is spot on: many more conspiracy theories are now available, they can spread much faster, and reach larger audiences than ever before. For example, the conspiracy theory that Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 to take down secret US-funded biological warfare labs started out as a fringe theory announced by the Kremlin, but was subsequently amplified by China’s foreign ministry and then gained popularity within the United States after Fox News host Tucker Carlson, repeated the misinformation on his show. — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 227

Categorization

• QUESTION: Tyson’s denial of rising conspiracy belief deserves attention: contrast with the PRRI and pandemic-endorsement numbers above. Is this a settled question or an ongoing empirical debate?
• XREF: connects to: Conspiracy beliefs stay stable while conspiracy talk shifts with power — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 749; Conspiracy theories themselves are old but their peddlers’ political power is new — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 30; Stigma level, not truth, determines which conspiracy beliefs reach mass audiences. — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 417 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Conspiracy beliefs stay stable while conspiracy talk shifts with power #corroborates (0.90) — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 749
• Conspiracy theories themselves are old but their peddlers’ political power is new #corroborates (0.85) — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 30