Conspiracy theories

The proliferation of conspiracy theories on social media has gone hand-in-hand with the spread of misinformation and outrage.

When people feel lose trust in institutions, there is a tendency to imagine nefarious villains puling strings behind the scenes, rather than the manufactured consent of the established culture within those institutions that cause bureaucratic rigidity, perverse incentives, and authoritarian mindsets.

Conspiracy theories distract us from addressing the real problems in society by substituting imagined ones. They need to become taboo again, so that discussing them on social media will get you shunned, even within your own in-group.