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THREAD: We all know someone who believes in conspiracy theories. Perhaps some of those people are your family, friends, or neighbors. We asked researchers and moderators of the subreddit, r/ChangeMyOpinion, for tips for talking to someone who believes in a conspiracy theory.
This thread is 10-step guide for how to not just talk to them, but to be kind.
Before you have the talk, here’s some considerations to bear in mind.
Before you have the talk, here’s some considerations to bear in mind.
“Conspiracy theories resonate with us all, to some extent,” says @rob_brotherton, a psychologist who’s written two books on conspiracy theories and fake news. It’s a defense mechanism: we’re primed to be suspicious and afraid of things that can’t be explained.
None of us are perfectly immune to conspiracy theories. Multiple members of r/ChangeMyView said they’ve been personally changed by this humility, and that it’s helped them to talk to people who believe in conspiracy theories.
“I've seen plenty of representation from white, Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Indigenous people,” says user ihatedogs2. “Plenty of women, LGBTQ+ people, and ppl with all kinds of careers. Many different countries, too. In terms of political leanings there is also a great variety.”
Coronavirus conspiracy theories offer a sense of community in the face of social distancing, says @BostonJoan, a disinformation expert at @Harvard associated with the university's @ShorensteinCtr and @BKCHarvard as well as @datasociety.
“There’s something verifiable in there somewhere—some information that’s layered with dangerous speculation,” says @BostonJoan. A kernel of truth, stuffed in a conspiracy theory.
“Disinformation falls into ‘What *they* don’t want you to know about,’” says @BostonJoan. And who *they* refers to “tends to be racialized.”
. @YouTube and podcasting have been able to take what were once fringe views into the mainstream, says @BostonJoan. But that also means that there are lots of debunking sources at your disposal.
So how do you talk to a person who believes a conspiracy theory? Here are those 10 tips to debunk conspiracy theories convincingly—and still be kind.
Without respect, compassion, and empathy, no one will open their mind or heart to you. No one will listen.
“I might send someone a text or reach out in a personalized way through DMs rather than post on their wall,” says @BostonJoan.
“You can ask what it would take to change their mind, and if they say they will never change their mind, then you should take them at their word and not bother engaging,” says r/ChangeMyView moderator ihatedogs2. https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/wiki/rules#wiki_indicators_of_rule_b_violations
Remember the kernel of truth? Establish those elements you can agree on to help build trust and an “I’m on your side” vibe to prep for the stickier stuff to come.
Use the fact-fallacy-fact approach, a method first proposed by linguist @GeorgeLakoff. It’s repetitive, but it reinforces facts and points out where the conspiracy theory doesn’t work. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/instead-of-trumps-propaganda-how-about-a-nice-truth-sandwich/2018/06/15/80df8c36-70af-11e8-bf86-a2351b5ece99_story.html
Use questions to help others probe their own argument and see if it stands up. Stuart Johnson, a mod on r/ChangeMyView, says that this is by far the most effective approach he’s found, as it challenges people to come up with sources and defend their position themselves.
Back off if the relationship is extremely close. “A harmonious Thanksgiving is preferable to fights over social media,” says r/ChangeMyView user, Canada Constitution.
In highly politicized areas, researchers have found, some people rationalize their belief system—even if reality counters it—simply because it’s difficult to be in the wrong. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797617738814
One r/ChangeMyView moderator suggested “IRL calming down”: shutting off your phone or computer and going for a walk.
“Sometimes you can shift someone’s perspective a little, like water eroding a rock. You won’t debunk a conspiracy theory but lay the path for someone in the future to do so,” says r/ChangeMyView mod, themaskedserpent.
This story was reported and written by @tanyabasu. You can read the original version on our website: https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/07/15/1004950/how-to-talk-to-conspiracy-theorists-and-still-be-kind/?utm_medium=tr_social&utm_campaign=site_visitor.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1595452224
