GodA researcher tried to assess the significance of the insights he gained about the fight against disinformation
By Carlos Diaz RuizAssociate Professor, Henken School of Economics
Around the world, and contrary to all scientific evidence, no small segment of the population believes that the round shape of the earth is an unproven theory or elaborate stretch. Surveys by YouGov America in 2018 and FDU in 2022 found that 11% of Americans believe the “Earth” may be flat.
While it is tempting to dismiss the “people of the flat country” as slightly amusing, we ignore the danger for ourselves. Surveys show that there is an overlap between belief in various conspiracy theories, some of which can serve as gateways to extremism. QAnon and the great exchange theory, for example, have proven to be lethal more than once
By learning how flat country people talk about their beliefs, we can learn how to make their arguments fascinating to their audience, and later learn what causes disinformation to spread online.
In a recent study, my colleague Thomas Nielsen from the University of Linnaeus and I analyzed hundreds of YouTube videos in which people claim that the earth is flat. We have noticed their discussion techniques to understand the structure of their arguments and how they make them seem rational.
One strategy they use is to take sides in existing debates. People who are deeply connected to one side of a culture war may make any argument (including truths, half-truths and opinions), if it will help them win. People invest their identity in a group and are more willing to believe in other allies than in those who are perceived as opponents – a phenomenon that sociologists call neo-tribal.
The problem arises when people internalize disinformation as part of their identity. While news articles can pass fact-checking, personal beliefs cannot. When conspiracy theories are part of someone’s value system or worldview, they are difficult to challenge.
The three elements of flat land theory
In analyzing these videos, we have seen that flat country believers take advantage of ongoing cultural wars by making their own arguments to the logic of, in particular, three main arguments. These discussions are long-lasting and can be very personal for participants on both sides.
The first is the discussion of the existence of God, which goes back to ancient times, and is built on logic, not on observation. People have been arguing for generations about atheism against faith, evolution against creationism, and the big bang against intelligent design. What the people of the flat earth are doing is placing their argument within the long-standing struggle of the Christian right, claiming that atheists are using pseudo-science – evolution, the big bang and the round earth – to keep people away from God.
A common chant of the flat earth doctrine that connects to religious beliefs is that God can inhabit the sky above us physically only on a flat plane, and not in a sphere. As one of Earth’s flat people put it:
“They invented the big bang to deny that God created everything, and they invented evolution to convince you that he cares more about the apes than you… They invented the round earth because God cannot be above you if he is also below you, and they invented an infinite universe, To make you believe that God is far from you. “
The second issue is a conspiracy theory that sees ordinary people stand up against the ruling elite of corrupt politicians and celebrities. Knowledge is power, and this theory claims that those in power conspire to retain knowledge for themselves by distorting the basic nature of reality. The message is that people are easily controlled if they believe what they are told and not their eyes. Indeed, the earth does indeed appear flat to the naked eye. The people of the flat earth see themselves as part of a community of undisputed heroes, fighting against the tyranny of an elite that makes the public disbelieve in what they see.
The third theme is based on the “free thinking” argument, which begins with a heated debate about the presence or absence of God in the text of the U.S. Constitution. Free people do not trust experts who use “knowledge in books” or “nonsensical mathematics” that ordinary people cannot replicate. Flat Earth people often use personal observations to test whether the earth is round, especially through homemade experiments. They see Themselves as the visionaries and scientists of yesteryear, like today’s Galileo.
Possible reactions
The fight against misinformation on social media is difficult when people internalize it as a personal belief. Checking facts can be ineffective because misinformation becomes an opinion or personal value.
A response to the followers of the flat country (or to other theorists of conspiracy theories) requires an understanding of the logic that makes their arguments convincing. For example, if you know they find arguments from unconvincing authorities, then choosing a government scientist as a spokesperson for a backlash may be ineffective. Instead, it may be more appealing to offer a homemade experiment that anyone can perform.
If we can identify the rationality behind their specific beliefs, then a counter-reaction can activate that logic. Knowledgeable people in the group are often the key to this – only a speaker with impeccable credentials as a devout Christian can say that you do not need flat earth beliefs to stay true to your faith.
In general, beliefs like the theory of the flat earth, QAnon and the great theory of exchange are growing because they appeal to a sense of group identity under attack. Even misinformation and unfounded conspiracies can seem rational if they fit into existing grievances. Because social media discussions require only the posting of content, participants create a feedback loop that establishes the disinformation as perspectives that cannot be factually verified.
For an article in The Conversation
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