A Quiet Beginning, The Prelude to Tragedy
One afternoon, an intriguing video pops up on your smartphone screen. “Shocking! Exposing the Hidden Secrets of a Famous Politician”—enticed by the provocative title and thumbnail, you click on the video. As it ends, similar videos fill your screen. The algorithm kindly continues to recommend content you might like. After watching a few more videos, you may find yourself gripped by the conviction that something massive is manipulating the world, far beyond your initial curiosity.
This is no longer a foreign story. It happens every day on social media. Fake news, once like a small snowflake, begins to tumble down the massive hill of social media. Likes and shares become the power that grows the snowball, and recommendation algorithms guide it down the steepest slopes. By the time you realize it, this snowball has turned into an avalanche of conspiracy theories that engulfs our society.
Tragic Cases Cultivated by Platforms
The story has led to real-world tragedies, regardless of specific platforms.
## Facebook: The Spark of Hatred Igniting Massacres, The Rohingya Crisis in Myanmar
In Myanmar, Facebook was more than just a social networking service; it was the internet itself. However, fake news claiming that “the Rohingya are illegal immigrants and pests stealing our resources” spread systematically. Facebook’s group features and pages became perfect tools for spreading hatred. People formed groups with like-minded individuals to confirm and amplify each other’s hatred.
The algorithm delivered this hate-filled content to more people. The result was horrific. Online hatred spilled over into real-world violence, leading to the massacre of countless Rohingya and the loss of their homes. Even a UN investigation pointed out that Facebook played a “decisive role” in inciting hatred against the Rohingya. Yet, Facebook’s response was painfully slow. Citing language barriers and a lack of understanding of local culture, they adopted a nearly passive stance, only offering a belated apology after the tragedy had spiraled out of control.
## WhatsApp: Death Delivered Through Encrypted Messages, Collective Lynching in India
With its strong encryption features, WhatsApp became a platform for private conversations. However, this ‘security’ characteristic plunged small villages in India into fear. Fake messages claiming that “strangers are appearing in the village to kidnap children” spread rapidly alongside manipulated videos. The messages circulated through group chats of family, friends, and neighbors, with no one verifying their authenticity.
Due to encryption, tracking the original source of the messages or understanding their spread was nearly impossible. The fear that settled in people’s minds quickly transformed into blind rage against strangers. As a result, innocent travelers or outsiders were lynched by villagers, falsely accused of being child abductors. WhatsApp took passive measures like limiting message forwarding, but it was insufficient to quell the already rampant distrust and fear.
## YouTube: The Rabbit Hole of Conspiracy Theories Guided by Algorithms, Pizzagate and QAnon
YouTube’s recommendation algorithm continuously suggests videos that users are likely to find interesting based on their viewing history. While this feature is convenient, it can also lead us down a very deep and dark ‘rabbit hole.’ The ‘Pizzagate’ conspiracy theory is a prime example. The absurd claim that prominent Democrats were running a child sex trafficking ring in the basement of a pizza restaurant in Washington D.C. spread rapidly through YouTube.
After watching one conspiracy theory video, the YouTube algorithm recommended increasingly sensational and confirmatory conspiracy videos. Those who fell into this rabbit hole gradually lost their sense of reality and began to believe the conspiracy theories as truth. Ultimately, one man stormed into the pizza restaurant with a gun, claiming he was there to ‘save the children.’ This algorithmic issue later became fertile ground for the growth of even larger and more dangerous conspiracy theories like QAnon, culminating in the unprecedented storming of the U.S. Capitol. YouTube belatedly strengthened its harmful content regulations, but the monster nurtured by the algorithm was already shaking the world.
#3. How Conspiracy Theorists Captivate Us
Conspiracy theorists cleverly exploit the characteristics of these platforms to incite the public.
- Pulling Emotional Triggers: They stimulate primal emotions like fear, anger, and distrust instead of logic or facts. Messages like “the elites are deceiving you” divide ‘us’ from ’them’ and instill a sense of belonging along with animosity.
- The Trap of “Do Your Own Research”: They tell people not to trust mainstream media or experts, but to “look it up for themselves.” However, at the end of the path they guide, there is only distorted information and false materials that support their claims.
- Community Building: Through live streaming and private groups, they communicate in real-time with followers, forming strong bonds. In these spaces, conspiracy theories become not just information but shared beliefs and a form of religion.
Throughout this process, the operators of social media platforms often hide behind the shield of ‘freedom of expression’ or show a lukewarm attitude out of concern for declining profitability. They repeatedly engage in ‘after-the-fact’ responses, deleting accounts or tightening regulations only after the issues have escalated into serious social controversies.
#4. Is the World We See the Real World?
Social media plays a deeper role in shaping human worldviews than we might think. Social media alters the behavior of society and its members. Significant changes occur both in macro-political realms and in micro-personal domains. Until now, we have only scratched the surface of understanding the shocks and impacts that social media can bring.
German sociologist Niklas Luhmann stated, “Everything we know about society, about the world we live in, we have learned through mass media.” However, 21st-century social media seems to tell us this:
“We do not know much about the world we live in.”
The world we see and believe may be another world cleverly designed by the algorithms on the small screen in our hands.