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Everything Is Connected: Conspiracy Theories in the Age of the Internet

万物互联：互联网时代的阴谋论

基本信息

批准号：
AH/V001213/1
负责人：
Peter Knight
金额：
$ 100.16万
依托单位：
University of Manchester
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2021
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2021 至无数据
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FV001213%2F1
关键词：
Everything Connected Conspiracy Theories Age

项目摘要

Conspiracy theories are increasingly rife on the Internet. With their potential for spreading virally, they can reach large audiences across the globe. In their relentless drive to connect the dots into one over-arching explanation, conspiracy theories seem to be made for the hyperlinked world of the Internet. Once marginal ideas now readily find an online community of believers. Although conspiracy theories encountered online are at times merely harmless entertainment or a sign of healthy scepticism, they can also lead to a loss of faith in scientific authorities and expert knowledge, to political disengagement, and even to violence. This research project addresses the question of how and why the Internet has changed conspiracy theories.Combining the 'close reading' techniques of cultural studies and ethnography with the 'distant reading' possibilities offered by big data methods, the project will analyse the difference that the Internet has made to the production, aesthetics and consumption of conspiracy theories. The team brings together cultural studies researchers and a cutting-edge lab that is developing new methods for the analysis and data visualisation of online conspiracy culture. Using digital methods, we will first map out the scale and scope of contemporary conspiracy theory culture in both the mainstream and the 'deep' web. This will shed light on the forms of conspiracy theory that generate the most engagement; how they spread on particular platforms; the role of recommendation algorithms; and the identity, connectedness and political stance of the main creators of conspiracy content. The second strand of research will place the production and transmission of conspiracy theories on the Internet in historical perspective, comparing earlier moments of 'new media' transformation (such as radio), and tracing how conspiracy theories have changed as the Internet itself has evolved over the last half century. By examining the content moderation policies, this strand will also consider how various digital platforms encourage or hinder the exchange of conspiracy theories online. The third research strand will focus on the form and function of online conspiracism by focusing on its dominant images, metaphors and narratives. In particular we will consider whether the ease of creating links on websites tends to push conspiracy theories to more elaborate, hyper-connected forms. The fourth research strand will study how conspiracy theories are consumed and appropriated on the Internet. Where psychology has tried to identify the personality traits that attract people to conspiracy theories, our research will use an ethnographic approach to analyse online discussion fora and conduct interviews with conspiracy theorists to determine how their encounter with conspiracy theories helps forge individual and group identities, for better or worse. In the final strand we will also assess when online conspiracism turns harmful, and what, if anything, can be done about it.The main outcome of the project will be a definitive book that sets out the findings of the research. In collaboration with the Institute of Education and the charity Sense About Science, we will develop workshops and materials (a) to train school teachers how to deal with the problem of conspiracy theories in the classroom, including creating educational materials for use with young people and (b) to help scientists and science communicators address conspiracy theories about e.g. climate change and vaccinations. Working with the think tank Demos, we will hold a high-profile end-of-project event and produce a report for stakeholders.

阴谋论在互联网上越来越流行。由于它们具有病毒式传播的潜力，它们可以到达地球仪的大量受众。阴谋论似乎是为互联网的超链接世界而生的，他们无情地把这些点连接成一个过于荒谬的解释。曾经的边缘思想现在很容易找到一个在线社区的信徒。虽然在网上遇到的阴谋论有时只是无害的娱乐或健康的怀疑主义的标志，但它们也可能导致对科学权威和专业知识的信心丧失，政治脱离，甚至暴力。本研究项目旨在探讨互联网如何以及为何改变了阴谋论。结合文化研究和民族志的"近距离阅读“技术和大数据方法提供的”远距离阅读“可能性，该项目将分析互联网对阴谋论的生产、美学和消费所产生的影响。该团队汇集了文化研究人员和一个尖端的实验室，该实验室正在开发新的方法来分析和数据可视化在线阴谋文化。使用数字方法，我们将首先绘制出主流和“深层”网络中当代阴谋论文化的规模和范围。这将揭示产生最多参与的阴谋论形式;它们如何在特定平台上传播;推荐算法的作用;以及阴谋内容主要创作者的身份，连通性和政治立场。第二部分研究将从历史的角度来看待互联网上阴谋论的产生和传播，比较“新媒体”转型的早期时刻（如广播），并追踪阴谋论如何随着互联网本身在过去半个世纪的发展而发生变化。通过研究内容审核政策，这一链还将考虑各种数字平台如何鼓励或阻碍在线阴谋论的交流。第三个研究方向将通过关注其主导图像，隐喻和叙事来关注在线阴谋主义的形式和功能。特别是，我们将考虑在网站上创建链接的便利性是否会将阴谋论推向更复杂，超连接的形式。第四项研究将研究阴谋论如何在互联网上被消费和挪用。在心理学试图确定吸引人们接受阴谋论的人格特征的地方，我们的研究将使用人种学方法来分析在线讨论论坛，并与阴谋论者进行访谈，以确定他们与阴谋论的相遇如何有助于塑造个人和群体身份，无论是好是坏。在最后一个环节中，我们还将评估网络阴谋论何时变得有害，以及如果有的话，可以做些什么。该项目的主要成果将是一本明确的书，阐述研究结果。与教育研究所和慈善机构Sense About Science合作，我们将开发研讨会和材料，（a）培训学校教师如何在课堂上处理阴谋论问题，包括为年轻人制作教育材料，（B）帮助科学家和科学传播者解决有关气候变化和疫苗接种的阴谋论。与智囊团Demos合作，我们将举办一个备受瞩目的项目结束活动，并为利益相关者制作一份报告。