Communication Arts 377: Digital Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy theories have long been a fascinating and prominent component of human societies. In the digital age, we have witnessed a dramatic resurgence of paranoia and violence, fueled by the very technologies meant to provide access to knowledge and information. In this course, we will uncover conspiracies together, seeking to understand how such strange ideas originate and spread.
Become a Conspiracy Theorist
For the final assignment, students imagine they are a conspiracy theorist and invent their own conspiracy theory, marshalling evidence from the internet to support the new theory. Read the excerpts below to see what students have come up with!
Kasia piontek
Chuck E. Cheese Coverup: Funding Never Annuls Facts
Did Chuck E. Cheese pay Scott Cawthon to create Five Nights at Freddy’s so that the lore would match the real Aurora, Colorado Chuck E. Cheese shooting of 1993?
Caitlin Wrobbel
Alani Nu Energy Drinks Are the New COVID Shot
Alani Nu markets its products as benefiting consumers’ health and wellness, and it appears the drinks may contain an unknown, secret ingredient: COVID vaccines.