Social media and shared reality

Kelly Weill’s new book, Off the Edge, is a deep dive into the world of flat Earth conspiracy theorists—those who believe Earth is a plane or disc-shaped rather than spherical—that brilliantly reveals how people fall into illogical beliefs, reject reason, destroy relationships, and connect with a broad range of conspiracy theories in the social media age. Beautiful, probing, and often empathetic, the book connects the flat Earth movement with other conspiracy theories currently affecting our lives and politics.

Flat Earth theories vary, but the most popular one states that the planet is a disc with a high ice wall around its perimeter; the sun is very small and hovers only about 3000 miles above Earth, illuminating portions of it like a spotlight; there is no such thing as outer space; and gravity may not exist. Adherents believe NASA guards the ice wall and, along with other governments, puts out misinformation to make people believe that Earth is a sphere and space travel is possible.

Weill has spent years immersed in the online communities of flat Earthers, attending their conventions and interviewing hundreds of believers. Although their theories and backgrounds differ, Weill has identified a few common traits. First, their initial contact with flat Earth theories often comes at a time when the rest of their lives are not going well. Second, they come to believe in a flat Earth by “doing their own research,” which often entails watching YouTube videos and reading internet forums. One subject profiled in the book, notes Weill, “watched hours of Flat Earth videos over the course of several days and converted before the week was up.”

In fact, social media often introduces flat Earth ideas to would-be believers. YouTube’s recommendation engine, for example, is optimized to send people to “engaging” content—that is, media that will keep them on the platform longer. As researchers have long known, more-extreme content—content that makes those consuming it angry, espouses conspiracy theories or extremist views, or contains shocking information or images—is more engaging. Thus, people who begin by watching relatively benign videos can be incrementally directed toward increasingly fringe topics.

Once you believe in one conspiracy theory, it is much easier to start believing in others. The language, tactics, and community that characterize conspiracy groups are similar, as are the social media algorithms that shape what searchers see online. “The flat earth and pro-Trump movements share strands of the same conspiratorial, counter-factual DNA,” notes Weill.

When someone buys into a conspiracy theory, it is hard to change their minds. Information that debunks the theory is often deemed untrustworthy, either because of the source or because believers are primed with superficially compelling counterarguments. Conspiracy theories also separate believers from friends and family, convincing adherents that those who reject the theory cannot be trusted. “Cults and conspiratorial movements are cousins,” observes Weill. “You’re either helping the movement or actively hurting it.”

Toward the end of the book, Weill highlights how easily conspiracy theories can pervade people’s worldviews, writing “I would like my old neighbors to stop invoking a fictional cannibalism ring when the diner down the road takes basic health precautions during a pandemic.” As a social media researcher who has spent the past several years studying what goes on in the murky corners of the internet, my heart ached with recognition. A pancake-shaped planet may seem innocuous, but the serious ramifications of conspiracy beliefs are always just below the surface.

Weill is impressively empathetic and respectful of the people she interviews, even as she expresses frustration at the damage conspiracy theories are doing in the world today. She outlines how difficult it is to debunk such theories, given that followers usually do not come to conversations willing to engage, but she is not without hope, highlighting the profound impact social media policies can have in limiting their spread. A 2019 change to YouTube’s recommendation algorithm, for example, made flat Earth content much harder to find.

Conspiracy theories and their ramifications have infiltrated our daily lives. Off the Edge provides an insightful, human look at what fuels these beliefs and the critical role that social media has played in enticing people into these worlds.

*** This article has been archived for your research. The original version from Science Magazine can be found here ***