Social Networks and Distrust: The COVID-19 Pandemic As a Gateway to Conspiracy Theories
Social Networks and Distrust: The COVID-19 Pandemic As a Gateway to Conspiracy Theories
Thursday, 10 July 2025: 00:00
Location: ASJE028 (Annex of the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences)
Oral Presentation
The study explores how distrust surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a driving force behind the spread of conspiracy theories, especially in digital environments. In modern society, social networks play a crucial role in shaping our understanding of knowledge and truth. Information spreads quickly and uncontrollably on these platforms, often blurring the line between verified knowledge and misinformation. This dynamic has created an environment where distrust can thrive, particularly towards institutions like governments and health organizations.
The nature of conspiracy theories is deeply rooted in this skepticism. The research examines how these theories evolve, their links to institutional distrust, and how they are represented on social networks. The methodology includes the analysis of over one million tweets and related hashtags to discover whether some conspiracy theories act as "gateways" to others.
The findings suggest that there are clear logical connections between different conspiracy theories. These connections are driven by a shared distrust towards specific institutions and have been significantly amplified by the global COVID-19 crisis. The study concludes that the spread of conspiracy theories is not random; it follows a logical pattern based on suspicion. These theories are interconnected, reflecting a consistent and coherent narrative shaped by distrust within the context of the pandemic.
The nature of conspiracy theories is deeply rooted in this skepticism. The research examines how these theories evolve, their links to institutional distrust, and how they are represented on social networks. The methodology includes the analysis of over one million tweets and related hashtags to discover whether some conspiracy theories act as "gateways" to others.
The findings suggest that there are clear logical connections between different conspiracy theories. These connections are driven by a shared distrust towards specific institutions and have been significantly amplified by the global COVID-19 crisis. The study concludes that the spread of conspiracy theories is not random; it follows a logical pattern based on suspicion. These theories are interconnected, reflecting a consistent and coherent narrative shaped by distrust within the context of the pandemic.