The Internet and Conspiratorial Beliefs: The Inseparable Pair

Abstract

Despite its quite young age, the Internet has been consistent and influential in creating and disseminating conspiratorial beliefs. It has also facilitated conspiratorial beliefs to circulate since the Web 1.0 era to the present time. With the invention of Web 2.0 and social media platforms, the power of the Internet becomes more eminent, including allowing different arguments about particular conspiratorial beliefs to intersect. In real life, conspiratorial beliefs disseminated through the Internet have caused severe social effects, particularly concerning vaccination. It is the Internet that makes anti-vaccination conspiratorial beliefs rise to fame, which results in vaccination programs hindered in several countries, including Indonesia.