Misinformation in Social Media Research Paper

In a world dominated by social media and information more accessible than ever, it is easy to fall into conflicting and confusing traps of misinformation. This misinformation has led to the formation of conspiracy theories, such as QAnon and the Illuminati. In order to solve this problem, it is of utmost importance that Americans are educated in the truths of these matters, because it has caused divisions among people that are negatively affecting America. In order to achieve this, we must first look at Educated by Tara Westover, and how with an education, Tara realized how wrong her father was, and began to think for herself. Secondly, we can try to understand the psychological factors behind conspiracy theories in Melinda Moyer’s article. Finally, we can acknowledge that in order to solve division in America, we must listen to other viewpoints as described in Sean Blanda’s article. 

In the memoir Educated, Tara grows up isolated with her family at the base of a mountain. Her father, Gene, is a conspiracy theorist who won't let any of his children receive a formal education because he believes that the government will brainwash them. However, as Tara gets older and starts to go to school, she realizes that her father’s ideas are starting to disassociate from her own. In one scene, Tara and Charles, her friend, are at the park together. Charles is asking her about the way she was raised and if she was angry that her parents didn't put her in school. “I’d never heard anyone criticize my father except Shawn, and I wasn’t able to respond to it. I wanted to tell Charles about the Illuminati, but the words belonged to my father, and even in my mind they sounded awkward, rehearsed” (172). This passage emphasizes how Tara is starting to finally think for herself and a childhood of being told what to think. This passage is important because it conveys the importance of having an education in order to distinguish topics as right from wrong. It also shows how having an education is empowering for Tara because it allows her to be her own person. 

In Melinda Moyer’s article “People Drawn to Conspiracy Theories Share a Cluster of Psychological Features”, there was a correlation found in a study between control over a situation and conspiracy theorists. In a Netherlands study in 2015, researchers split subjects into 3 different groups and told each group to write about a different situation. One group wrote about a time they felt not in control of a situation, the second group when they felt totally in control, and the last group wrote about a neutral topic. The subjects were then all asked to write about their opinions on the construction of a new subway line in Amsterdam. Results showed that the people who had previously written about being in control of a situation were more likely than the other two groups to believe conspiracies surrounding the subway line’s construction. One theory was that the city council was stealing money from the construction project in order to jeopardize the safety of the citizens. This study relates to Educated because Gene is seen as the mastermind of his family, and attempts to control every aspect of the family’s life. Due to the fact that Gene is a person who has established a lot of control in his life, he is more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, which was found in the study. This is true in Gene’s case, and by recognizing the psychological factors that can lead to the belief of conspiracy theories, Americans can help to prevent others from falling into the same trap. 

Due to the formation of conspiracy theories and misinformation circling social media, many Americans have begun to divide themselves between people who believe in conspiracy theories, and those who don’t. This division has led to people not being able to put their differences aside in order to address bigger issues that will eventually affect all Americans, such as climate change and pollution. In Sean Blanda’s article “The ‘Other Side’ is Not Dumb”, it challenges readers to try and learn from the viewpoints of others rather than ignore them. The article also emphasizes how people divide themselves into their point of view, and the ‘other side’. “It’s a preference to see the Other Side as a cardboard cutout, and not the complicated individual human beings they actually are” (2). This quote emphasizes the extent to which Americans have divided themselves so much that they don’t even think of people with opposing opinions as other humans. Throughout Educated, Tara begins to feel herself being seen as the ‘other side’ by her family, simply because she went to school and developed different ideologies. The division was so bad that her own father refused to even see her. Tara’s story is a prime example of how divided our nation has become even among families, and why we must start to come together as one country and unite for the greater good of America and its citizens. 

Social media has created many traps of confusing misinformation that have led to the formation of conspiracy theories. These theories have divided America in ways that no one could have predicted. In order to solve this issue, we must try and educate those who have fallen victim to these traps by presenting them with the correct information. But above all, we must first educate ourselves on why people think the way they do, and try to understand them in the best way possible. Truly listening to others and what they have to say is the only way to solve the problems at hand, and without everyone coming together, America will forever be a country divided against itself.