Week 11 Reflection Post
Why conspiracy theories resonate in an age of anxiety.
In her They Say, I Say exercise, Kristin Beaty wrote it best when she said, “Rhetoric and conspiracy theories are used to draw in attention from proponents and opponents alike due to their controversial tone and shock-value.” In this age of anxiety, those who are most vulnerable would also be most susceptive to a conspiracy with a level of shock attached.
Kristin goes on to say that conspiracy theories draw, “in attention from the media and often spread quickly online. Propagandist can then use this spotlight or platform to reach a wider audience and spread more of their rhetoric.” This wide audience being reached is having emotions toyed with as the audiences of propaganda usually do. With fear in their minds, a little nudge and a ghastly idea may be all it takes to set aflame anxiety and bring a theory to life.
Explain how prior knowledge shapes interpretation and perceptions of credibility?
Alex Izzi discuses how the, “credibility of such information [from social media] is not always legitimate and results with a misled population.” However, most users believe much of what they may read on the Internet to be of a credible and legitimate quality source.
If we already have an idea of what we believe to be true, we are more so inclined to believe and seek out that which confirms our beliefs, also known as confirmation bias. Kristin Beaty agrees when she writes, “we tend to seek out and believe information that supports our beliefs. Social media platforms, in their current models, validate our perceptions by only exposing us to information that supports our viewpoints.” With an idea already in place, we look for our own version of confirmation bias to support one’s own pre-existing ideas and notions.
In her They Say, I Say exercise, Kristin Beaty wrote it best when she said, “Rhetoric and conspiracy theories are used to draw in attention from proponents and opponents alike due to their controversial tone and shock-value.” In this age of anxiety, those who are most vulnerable would also be most susceptive to a conspiracy with a level of shock attached.
Kristin goes on to say that conspiracy theories draw, “in attention from the media and often spread quickly online. Propagandist can then use this spotlight or platform to reach a wider audience and spread more of their rhetoric.” This wide audience being reached is having emotions toyed with as the audiences of propaganda usually do. With fear in their minds, a little nudge and a ghastly idea may be all it takes to set aflame anxiety and bring a theory to life.
Explain how prior knowledge shapes interpretation and perceptions of credibility?
Alex Izzi discuses how the, “credibility of such information [from social media] is not always legitimate and results with a misled population.” However, most users believe much of what they may read on the Internet to be of a credible and legitimate quality source.
If we already have an idea of what we believe to be true, we are more so inclined to believe and seek out that which confirms our beliefs, also known as confirmation bias. Kristin Beaty agrees when she writes, “we tend to seek out and believe information that supports our beliefs. Social media platforms, in their current models, validate our perceptions by only exposing us to information that supports our viewpoints.” With an idea already in place, we look for our own version of confirmation bias to support one’s own pre-existing ideas and notions.