Can learning about conspiracy theories advance the media literacy competencies of adolescents?

LOVE HATE

CONSPIRACY THEORIESWe love them and we hate them

Chemtrails FlourideMary Magdalene IlluminatiCIA Experiments Reptilian EliteElvis EbolaVaccines Global Warming

www.mindovermedia.tv

7% of Americans believe the moon landings were faked

15% believe that the media or government adds mind control technology to TV broadcast signals

42% of Republicans and 14% of Democrats believe that President Obama was not born in the United States--Economist survey, December 2016

Conspiracy theory: a type of belief in which the ultimate cause of an event is believed to be due to a plot by multiple actors working together with a clear goal in mind, often unlawfully and in secret

TERMS FOR UNDERSTANDING CONSPIRACY THEORIES

disillusionmentanxietyhoaxparanoia

ambiguityopen-mindednessclosurecynicism

Government commission concludes: Peace is not in the interest of a stable society.

Even if lasting peace "could be achieved, it would almost certainly not be in the best interests of society to achieve it.”

Becomes a best selling book, translated into 15 languages

1972: Leonard Lewinadmits he is the author & explains its purpose as dark political satire

1990:Liberty Lobby publishes the report as a public domain document

Right-wing websites re-distribute it online

Conspiracy Theories are Resilient

THINKING FAST AND SLOW

Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking Fast and Slow. NY: Farrar Straus & Giroux

SYSTEM 1

SYSTEM 2

intuitiveemotionalimmediatecreative

logicallinearanalyticaldetail-oriented

Familiarity Equals Believability

THE POWER OF A SINGLE EXPOSURE

Participants who were exposed to a conspiracy video were significantly less likely to :• think that there is widespread scientific agreement on

human-caused climate change• sign a petition to help reduce global warming • donate or volunteer for a charity in the next six months.

--Daniel Jolley and Karen Douglas, 2013

Critical Thinking Diminishes the Power of Conspiracy Theories

Swami, V. et al. (2013). Analytical thinking reduces belief in conspiracy theories. Cognition 133(3), 572 – 585.

Media literacy educators can explore conspiracy theories to strengthen

critical thinking skills

Screening conspiracy theory videos in the classroom risks validating them

There may not be enough time in class to examine evidence in depth

There’s too much junk information online on these topics

It’s too easy to trivialize conspiracy theories, reinforcing “us” and “them” thinking

Video Annotation is a Powerful Tool for Critically Analyzing Conspiracy Theories

www.ant.umn.edu

Media Literacy: A Pedagogy of Inquiry

“The thing is, Google search isn’t neutral. Like any other set of complex algorithms, search is shot through with the values of its creators.”

Wohlsen, 2016

Should you discuss conspiracy theories in the classroom?

Why or why not?

TIME TO REFLECT

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Conspiracy theories are alarm systems that help people deal with threat. They resonate most among groups suffering from loss, weakness, or disunity.

--Uscinski & Parent, 2014

Responding Critically & Sympathetically

Conspiracy theories are resilient: they cannot be easily disproved

They resonate in an age of anxiety by offering simple explanations for complex and ambiguous realities

Although even brief exposures to conspiracy theories increases their believability, analytical thinking can lower belief in conspiracy theories

Video annotation tools “slow down” people’s response to video and promotes analytic & reflective thinking

Teachers must wrestle with important paradoxes when deciding whether, when & how to teach about conspiracy theories

Renee HobbsProfessor of Communication StudiesDirector, Media Education LabUniversity of Rhode Island USATwitter: @reneehobbs

SEPT/OCT 2017Knowledge Quest

A publication of the American Association for School Librarians (AASL)

www.mediaeducationlab.com