How to Avoid Falling for Urban Legends, Rumors, and Conspiracy Theories

The spread of misinformation is not a new phenomenon. However, because we have access to multiple tools (email, text messaging, social media, etc.) that quickly spread messages to numerous individuals, urban legends, rumors, and conspiracy theories spread more quickly and reach more individuals than they used to.

These forms of misinformation may seem benign, but they aren’t. They may lead individuals to engage in dangerous behaviors. For example, for years there has been a post going around Facebook that says what you should do if you are ever robbed at an ATM (see an example of the post here). According to the post, you should enter your PIN number backwards and the police will automatically be notified. This is untrue (I know for certain because for years my PIN was a palindrome). Imagine if you were robbed at an ATM and you entered your number backwards instead of calling 911. The police wouldn’t come and you could be harmed. Likewise, individuals may avoid behaviors that are perfectly safe or even beneficial because they’ve heard misinformation. For example, a rumor that has been going around for a long time (even before social media) says that raw, cut onions absorb bacteria, so you shouldn’t eat them because you’ll get sick (see an example of this rumor here). If this were true, I’d be dead! However, some individuals believe this and throw away perfectly good onions.

If urban legends, rumors, and conspiracy theories aren’t benign, then why do we believe them? More importantly, how can we avoid spreading them?

Why do people believe misinformation?

There are a number of reasons why we tend to believe urban legends, rumors, and conspiracy theories.

• They help us make sense of and manage threats. Most pieces of misinformation address things we fear (diseases, kidnapping, murder, mysterious creatures, crime, etc.). We often don’t fully understand these threats, so we use misinformation to make sense of them and to cope with our fears.
• They help us connect and feel useful. When we believe urban legends, rumors, and conspiracy theories, we feel compelled to pass them on to loved ones so they can benefit from the information. This helps us connect with our loved ones and makes us feel like we are valuable and useful.
• They make us feel special. If the masses are being lied to by the government, the media, healthcare workers, etc., but we know the “truth” (in the form of misinformation), then we feel special. We all desire to feel special, so we’ll believe misinformation even when there is no evidence it is true. Likewise, we feel foolish when we realized we’ve been duped, so we tend to cling to misinformation even when confronted with incontrovertible proof that it is wrong.
• For believers, they validate their worldviews and legitimize their fears. Some individuals, despite ample evidence to the contrary, hold deep-seated ideas that are false. For example, some believe the earth is flat or that dinosaurs never existed (they believe all the fossils that have been found were manmade). Individuals who hold beliefs like these are prone to believe urban legends, rumors, and conspiracy theories because they seek out information that is consistent with their worldviews. They use misinformation to bolster their false beliefs and to legitimize their concerns.
• They help ill-intentioned individuals spread disinformation. Unfortunately, there are individuals out there who are up to no good. These individuals may use urban legends, rumors, or conspiracy theories to intentionally mislead people. They may be trying to manipulate your actions. They may be trying to spread chaos and confusion. They may be trying to create mistrust. In some cases, like with so-called fake news, they may be trying to get you to click on headlines and read inaccurate “news” stories in order to make money from ads placed in those stories. Whatever the reason, sometimes individuals orchestrate the spread of misinformation in order to harm others and/or to benefit themselves.

How to avoid spreading urban legends, rumors, and conspiracy theories

When you come across something interesting, whether on social media, in print, or via word-of-mouth, it is important to pause and think before sharing the information. Here are some things you want to consider.

The credibility of the person sharing the information

You may love and trust your friends and family members, but it is time to ask some tough questions in regards to what they share.

• Does he or she have firsthand knowledge? If a story being passed along to you is not being shared by the person who experienced it or by an original article by a reputable source, then be wary of it. Stories shared about “a friend of a friend” (or a cousin’s neighbor, a neighbor’s coworker, a coworker’s mom, etc.) are rarely accurate. Like happens in the children’s game Telephone, stories often become distorted as they are passed along.
• Does he or she have a good understanding of the topic? If a friend who has no medical knowledge is passing along medical advice, then be wary of it. If a family member who has no knowledge of public safety is passing along public safety advice, then be wary of it. If your loved one doesn’t know about a given topic, then he or she may not know what information about it is accurate.
• What sort of information does he or she usually share? If an individual constantly passes along rumors and shares everything he or she sees on social media, then you can’t trust what they share. You want to know that a person is careful to only share accurate information before you believe something he or she posts.

Sometimes the information is coming from a stranger, a news group, or various organizations (charities, professional organizations, etc.). Look at the social media accounts for these individuals or groups and consider the following:

• How long has the account been active? Brand new accounts may have been set up for the purpose of spreading a particular piece of misinformation.
• Does the account exhibit bot-like behavior? Accounts that post at all hours of the day, from different locations in the world, and include highly polarizing political content are likely made by machines instead of people.
• Is there a profile picture? Accounts without profile pictures or those that contain stock photo images for profile pictures are less likely to be genuine accounts.
• What content is posted on the account? Is it all fantastical? Does it contain numerous spelling and grammatical errors? Might the person or organization have an ulterior motive for spreading a particular point of view? If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you should be wary of the source.

The words used to communicate the story or message

Often times there are particular words or phrases that can alert you to the fact that you are hearing or reading misinformation.

• “A friend of a friend…” As I noted above, you should be suspicious of any story that happened to “a friend of a friend” or something similar. Stories become distorted as they are passed along.
• “Share this if you really care.” Spreaders of disinformation want to convince you to spread it, so they weaponize your love for your family and friends. Of course you really care for these people, so you are going to share the information to keep them safe.
• “The government doesn’t want you to know…” or “doctors don’t want you to know…” Just as they weaponize your love for your family and friends, spreaders of disinformation weaponize your desire to have complete information. They’ll indicate that information is being kept from you by the government, doctors, the mainstream media, local law enforcement, etc. They know you’ll want to share it so that everyone you care about has access to these secrets, too.

This isn’t a phrase, but also be alert to cute images that are paired with unrelated messages that may be political or divisive in nature. Spreaders of disinformation will sometimes pair the two because people are quick to share pictures of cute puppies and cats, so they’ll share these images regardless of where they originate or the messages to which they are tied (you can see an example here).

Another thing to keep in mind is that if a story seems too good to be true or too strange to be true, then it probably is. False and misleading stories spread like wildfire during drought because lies can often be more interesting than the truth.

If the story can be verified with a fact checker

There are a number of fact-checking websites that allow you to search and see if a particular story is true or if it is an urban legend, rumor, or conspiracy theory. Keep in mind that none of these websites are perfect—it’s possible that they contain errors here and there—but they are easy-to-use tools that are extremely helpful when trying to determine if a story is true or not.

Fact-checking websites for stories

• AFP Fact Check
• Hoax Slayer
• International Fact Checking Network
• Lead Stories
• Politifact
• FactCheck.org
• Snopes
• Truth or Fiction

Fact-checking websites for images (to see if images have been edited or manipulated)

• Google Images (reverse image search)
• TinEye
• Image Edited?

Final thoughts

If, like me, you are a Christian, then it is imperative that you avoid spreading misinformation. The Bible teaches us that it is wrong to slander or bear false witness against others (Exodus 23:1, Proverbs 6:16-19) and that we will have to give account for every careless word that we speak (Matthew 12:36). Moreover, how can nonbelievers take us seriously if we believe and spread misinformation? If one day you share a conspiracy theory about COVID, the next day you share about how leftover onions are toxic, and the next day you share about how Christ is risen from the dead, do you think people will take your words about Christ seriously? No. They’ll write it off as another ridiculous claim. Please exercise wisdom before sharing “helpful information.” Make sure it is accurate and that it is truly beneficial that you share it.

For additional information, check out my sources:

• Urban Legends: How They Start and Why They Persist
• Why Urban Legends Are More Powerful Than Ever
• Rumors and Realities: Making Sense of HIV/AIDS Conspiracy Narratives and Contemporary Legends
• Why False Beliefs Are Hard to Shake
• 5 Ways to Spot Disinformation On Your Social Media Feeds
• How to Spot Misinformation and Stop Its Spread
• Why Your Christian Friends and Family Members Are So Easily Fooled by Conspiracy Theories
• Media Literacy and Misinformation: Tips and Tools

How do you avoid being taken in by urban legends, rumors, and conspiracy theories? Please share your tips with us!

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Encouraging Hearts and Home, Over the Moon, and Busy Monday.