An important distinction to make is “how much” people believe in a theory. Is the belief strong enough to mobilise people into action? We don’t see any riots or marches based on whether or not we landed on the Moon in 1969, but we do see many public demonstrations regarding the Covid-lockdown measures because they affect us much more in real life.
A conspiracy theory is only “dangerous” if it can convince people to believe so strongly in the narrative that they are willing to take to the streets or are willing to use violence as a response. This way a belief in a false conspiracy theory can have very strong implications on the political system and be able to activate and rally people of existing political or cultural groups into action.
Want to find out more? Read the Critical Balance e-book for youth workers on critical thinking and conspiracy theories!
