Clock
Senior Member.
Following the events of 9/11, it is pretty evident to say that it caused quite a noise into everybody's lives, and it was one of the most shocking events of the past 40-60 years. After an event of such magnitude, came a unevetable snowball effect for brand new conspiracy theories, using 9/11 as the ultimate proof for the tyranny of the American government and the 'full evidence' to the New World Order.
Meanwhile, computers had taken an entire different meaning. The beginnings of the modern internet, in which anyone could do some research/type something, began to rise. The technology became better and better, and more essential and useful for the common folk's everyday needs. The digital age had officially kicked in, and ironically, it coincided with the 'conspiracy boom' of the early 21st century. Ironically, both of these activities rose at the same time and anyone with an opinion began typing on their keyboards about the latest conspiracy theory.
The websites presented their opinions and proofs about why 9/11 was an inside job and that the official 9/11 story was full lies and they explained why. As technology kept on getting better and better, people were noew capable of creating their own websites for free and at the speed of light, and in came the debunking forums/blogs.
The decade following 9/11 was the conspiracy snowball effect, in which new theories and ideologies came to life (or came back to life) and were offered as the only proof possible. With more and more people now being on the web, people could gain awareness of them and either grow scared or part of them. With websites like youtube, anyone could take something silly (the world ending in 2012) make a dramatic youtube video about it, and you'll have someone who is scared or believes in it. It is quite easy in this day and age. Despite this, conspiracy theories are still and will always be some sort of niche. It is less of it now than it was 30 years ago, in which it was much harder to find these theories, but a niche it remains.
After 9/11, various new theories proving that 'the government did it' arrived, and new theories such as Chemtrails, Climate Change being a hoax, Denver International Airport, Illuminati controlling the music industry, all to prove the exstence of the so called New World Order, which in itself is a repackaging of the theory in which the world is controlled by rich Jews.
Zeitgeist was one of the highlights of this 'Conspiracy Snowball'. It caused quite a stir between debunkers and theorists alike. It was a new breed of Conspiracy Theorists (or whatever the heck you want to call them) that treated them as a religion. It was a cult that was popular enough to spawn 3 movies and various books, all to prove what was so wrong with the world and other things. Following the movement came Desteni and Thrive, among other movements, in which they were followed as the real thing. This 'new wave'did not last long, and conspiracy sites and debunking sites alike, are simply stirring the pot.
If you look here on Metabunk, you can at the latest subjects, you can see that many of the things being debunked stem from things you had first heard in 2000-2010. The conspiracy theorist well has dried, and frankly, we are just rolling around discussing all of the theories that first arrived in that decade. There will always be conspiracies about recent events, such as Sandy Hook or the Batman Shootings but they are quickly debunked here and there a few weeks after the events. Conspiracy Websites and Debunking Websites are not gong to lose their attendance rates, because after all, with the internet being so vast, anybody can fall on an Alex Jones video and be compelled by the product Alex sells. People are still going to need the answer to their questions, but I believe that the level of productivity has fairly reduced since the previous decade.
And maybe that's a good thing.
Meanwhile, computers had taken an entire different meaning. The beginnings of the modern internet, in which anyone could do some research/type something, began to rise. The technology became better and better, and more essential and useful for the common folk's everyday needs. The digital age had officially kicked in, and ironically, it coincided with the 'conspiracy boom' of the early 21st century. Ironically, both of these activities rose at the same time and anyone with an opinion began typing on their keyboards about the latest conspiracy theory.
The websites presented their opinions and proofs about why 9/11 was an inside job and that the official 9/11 story was full lies and they explained why. As technology kept on getting better and better, people were noew capable of creating their own websites for free and at the speed of light, and in came the debunking forums/blogs.
The decade following 9/11 was the conspiracy snowball effect, in which new theories and ideologies came to life (or came back to life) and were offered as the only proof possible. With more and more people now being on the web, people could gain awareness of them and either grow scared or part of them. With websites like youtube, anyone could take something silly (the world ending in 2012) make a dramatic youtube video about it, and you'll have someone who is scared or believes in it. It is quite easy in this day and age. Despite this, conspiracy theories are still and will always be some sort of niche. It is less of it now than it was 30 years ago, in which it was much harder to find these theories, but a niche it remains.
After 9/11, various new theories proving that 'the government did it' arrived, and new theories such as Chemtrails, Climate Change being a hoax, Denver International Airport, Illuminati controlling the music industry, all to prove the exstence of the so called New World Order, which in itself is a repackaging of the theory in which the world is controlled by rich Jews.
Zeitgeist was one of the highlights of this 'Conspiracy Snowball'. It caused quite a stir between debunkers and theorists alike. It was a new breed of Conspiracy Theorists (or whatever the heck you want to call them) that treated them as a religion. It was a cult that was popular enough to spawn 3 movies and various books, all to prove what was so wrong with the world and other things. Following the movement came Desteni and Thrive, among other movements, in which they were followed as the real thing. This 'new wave'did not last long, and conspiracy sites and debunking sites alike, are simply stirring the pot.
If you look here on Metabunk, you can at the latest subjects, you can see that many of the things being debunked stem from things you had first heard in 2000-2010. The conspiracy theorist well has dried, and frankly, we are just rolling around discussing all of the theories that first arrived in that decade. There will always be conspiracies about recent events, such as Sandy Hook or the Batman Shootings but they are quickly debunked here and there a few weeks after the events. Conspiracy Websites and Debunking Websites are not gong to lose their attendance rates, because after all, with the internet being so vast, anybody can fall on an Alex Jones video and be compelled by the product Alex sells. People are still going to need the answer to their questions, but I believe that the level of productivity has fairly reduced since the previous decade.
And maybe that's a good thing.
