The Appeal of Conspiracy Theories

According to the Survey Center on American Life, approximately two-thirds of Americans hold the belief that "you can learn more about what is going on in the world by ignoring mainstream news and doing your own research." This tendency to "do our own research" combined with our reliance on social media to meet our information needs makes us susceptible to one of the most influential forces on the internet: conspiracy theories.

Use this lesson to help your students think critically about conspiracy theories and how social media impacts their spread.