Christine

Are a few people ruining the internet for the rest of us? Why does the online world seem so toxic compared with normal life? Our research shows that a small number of divisive accounts could be responsible – and offers a way out

Only a small % of people engage in toxic activity online, but they’re responsible for a disproportionate share of hostile or misleading content on nearly every platform

Because super-users are so active, they dominate our collective impression of the internet www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

Our sister died because of our mum's cancer conspiracy theories, say brothers Paloma Shemirani’s brothers say she refused chemotherapy because of their mother’s beliefs.

Conspiracy Theories kill.

BBC News - Our sister died because of our mum's cancer conspiracy theories, say brothers - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

«Conspiracy believers are dispositionally overconfident and massively overestimate how much others agree with them»

Enig! Veldig bra

– Vi har blitt løyet til: På religiøs MAGA-festival blir Trump-tilhengere tilbudt en alternativ virkelighet - Filter Nyheter – Kommer FBI til å banke på døra mi nå? På grunn av alt det jeg har sagt? Scott Gallagher (60) blir brått bekymret for å ha delt for mye.

– Sorry to break it to you, beklaget Ellen Lopez (65), da hun ville overbevise Filter Nyheter om at grufull menneskehandel med barn var et omfattende problem også i Norge.

På religiøs MAGA-festival blir Trump-tilhengere tilbudt en alternativ virkelighet:

The Tariff Reality Test Trump backed down. His supporters think that was the plan all along.

I wrote about how all this MAGA tariff support is just like finance QAnon (even when Trump backs down). Trust the plan. Follow the crumbs. Trump's in control. A golden age is nigh. This is how people break from reality now. (gift) www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

Teorienes menneskelige pris Felles for de fleste konspirasjonsteorier er at de hevder at hemmelige krefter styrer verden. Men nå ser det heller ut til at det er konspirasjonsteoretikerne som styrer verden.

Denne samtalen må vi faktisk ta:

Hva gjør vi når noen vi kjenner nettforgiftes?

@didriksoderlind.bsky.social og @aduvill.bsky.social tar ansvar og har skrevet bok og i dag kronikk👇

Cognitive Biases Associated With Specific and Generalized Beliefs in Conspiracy Theory We hypothesized that certain cognitive biases associated with delusional ideation might be associated with a tendency to believe in conspiracy theories. These biases were assessed using the Cognitive...

Cognitive Biases Associated With Beliefs in Conspiracy Theory onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

"...particularly anomalous perception, jumping to conclusions, intentionalizing, threatening event, and emotional reasoning, were correlated with beliefs ... beliefs in conspiracies."

MAGA Brocasters Grow Suspicious of the Jews Joe Rogan and Theo Von, big-league hosts who elevated Trump, now playing footsie with antisemites.

Anti-semitism is exploding on the comedy-bro podcasts that helped power Trump's election win. Here's the first edition of my new newsletter, False Flag, for @thebulwark.bsky.social:

www.thebulwark.com/p/maga-broca...

DOs and DON'Ts for talking to a loved one in a cult. The way you communicate can either open doors or shut them. Avoid direct attacks, ultimatums, and logical “debates.” The goal is not to "win." This topic will be the subject of a deep dive on Substack - so make sure to subscribe and stay tuned!

Thank you so much! And thank you for helping and encouraging others to find a way out. Your experience is incredibly valuable and your openness is truly admirable.

Former conspiracy theorists should definitely be used more actively in media, research, and recovery efforts. What would be your advice in a newsroom? Can relatives come forward with their names when sharing their stories? Should the media debunk more conspiracy theories? What to cover?

How to inoculate yourself (and others) against viral misinformation Author Sander van Linden explains how to build immunity against misinformation, similar to vaccines that protect against pathogens.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists was founded by Einstein. Today in the face of mounting attacks on the scientific enterprise, I'm honored to have done a Q&A about how to vaccinate each other against the increasing deluge of misinformation. @thebulletin.org

thebulletin.org/2025/02/how-...

Formerly anti-vax parents on how they changed their minds: ‘I really made a mistake’ Researchers believe personal stories are more persuasive than facts alone in addressing vaccine skepticism

Formerly anti-vax parents on how they changed their minds: ‘I really made a mistake’

How a son spent a year trying to save his father from conspiracy theories Zach Mack spent a year attempting to rescue his father from the depths of the conspiracy rabbit hole. Their family was forced to reckon with clashing realities, ideological divides and misinformation.

So recognizable: "When all these things happen," he told me, "you will realize I'm not as big a crackpot as you think I am. These are not conspiracy theories — these are reality."

YouTube video by Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix Sunday Speaker: Stephanie Kemmerer - What Conspiracy Theories Steal From Us

This was from 2 yrs ago. One of the things I hear most from formers is how we got screwed out of real knowledge. There's so much to learn & relearn. It's important to consider what conspiracy theory beliefs steal from us when we believe them.
youtu.be/06ET4E1hflI?...

Stack of books about conspiracy theories, with the book Quiet Damage by Jesselyn Cook standing at the top.

«The Quiet Damage» is a rare spotlight into the experiences of those close to conspiracy theorists. This heart-wrenching story shows how conspiracy theories can devastate even the tightest family bonds. While it offers limited optimism for reversing such beliefs, I found solace in reading it.