TORONTO -- Misinformation and conspiracy theories can sometimes seem as rampant online as genuine news. And while media outlets and health officials have worked to debunk and disprove many of them鈥攁s with the World Health Organization鈥檚 鈥溾 page鈥攑eople close to you may still believe them.
That鈥檚 because people need to make sense of our world and anxiety can lead them to non-reputable sources of information, said Ont.-based social worker Gary Direnfeld.
鈥淲e typically appreciate certainty in our lives. With certainty we can plan. With uncertainty, our lives become a mess and we become more anxious,鈥 he told CTVNews.ca over the phone on Friday. 鈥淭he more anxious we are, I do believe the more likely we鈥檙e going to latch on to a conspiracy theory as it provides us with an answer. Even if it鈥檚 not a good answer.鈥
But there are strategies you can employ when your neighbour, friend or loved one has found the wrong answer to pandemic uncertainty. Here鈥檚 a start.
Misinformation vs. conspiracy
First, it鈥檚 important to spot the difference between conspiracy theory and misinformation, says Direnfeld. Misinformation is a more benign culprit. 鈥淲e just got bamboozled by some information,鈥 he said. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 misinformation, people are generally quite ready to have their thinking corrected.鈥
In that case, it may be simple to point them toward the correct information. For example, there is no evidence that injecting disinfectant can treat or prevent COVID-19, as was suggested by U.S. President Donald Trump in April.
Conspiracy theory is another breed that involves the incitement of fear and blame. One recent example is the 鈥Plandemic鈥 video that claimed the COVID-19 pandemic was 鈥減lanned.鈥
鈥淭hese are persons who are not swayed by contrary or more accurate information,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hese people who are attached because of a belief system that they鈥檝e bought into. And belief systems tend to be quite rigid, quite strong.鈥
To meet their belief system with confrontation can result in defensive behaviour that drive that person further into their belief system, said Direnfeld.
Is it worth it?
Not all confrontation with friends and family is worthwhile. Direnfeld suggests doing a little 鈥渃ost-benefit analysis鈥 before attempting to question the person who may have fallen victim to conspiracy theory. The end result could be conflict if approached poorly.
鈥淵ou may find that when you do a cost-benefit analysis, it鈥檚 better to leave a person with their belief system than undermine the quality of the relationship,鈥 he said.
Politeness and public health
It may be tactful to consider striking a balance between politeness and concern for public health. For example, when faced with someone not wearing a face mask, Toronto physician and medical research Dr. Iris Gorfinkel told CTVNews.ca in July that explaining how their behaviour affects you is a place to start.
鈥淚f the goal is trying to engage and create more of a community, it鈥檚 always better to start off with the perspective of how it makes you feel,鈥 she said. 鈥淔or example, 鈥業 feel uncomfortable mentioning this, but I鈥檓 concerned because...鈥 or, 鈥業 feel protected when you wear your mask.鈥欌
Approach with curiosity
Instead of confrontation, a better strategy is to come from a place of curiosity and ask questions that encourage and facilitate the use of the other person鈥檚 judgement, suggests Direnfeld.
鈥淵ou want to cause the person to reflect on their belief and their thinking versus imposing your own,鈥 he said.
Some questions to start, particularly aimed at conspiracies that purport multinational plots: Who benefits from this theory? What would have to happen in order for this to be true? How many people would have to be involved? Do you think those persons or those countries would ever collaborate on something as big as this to make that happen?
Determine your own knowledge
In some cases, it may be apt to avoid argument or lengthy discussion based on your own level of knowledge on the subject matter. Some conspiracy theories have intricate layers involving many decades of falsehoods. In a recent post online, Direnfeld was confronted by a conspiracy theorist on a subject related to George W. Bush, but chose not to engage.
鈥淚 would have had to be an American history scholar,鈥 he said. 鈥淪ome conspiracy theories, to refute them intelligently, may require you to have a depth of knowledge beyond which you possess.鈥
If that鈥檚 the case, your best route might be acknowledging your knowledge blind spots while also acknowledging that you don鈥檛 agree with the other person鈥檚 perspective.
鈥淵ou want to be respectful in the interaction,鈥 said Direnfeld.
Take it offline
It may also be suitable to take your discussion offline or over the phone, where there is less of a chance someone might misunderstand your tone and intention.
鈥淒on鈥檛 draw each other into a negative rabbit hole,鈥 said Direnfeld.
Duty to intervene?
During a global health crisis, the safety risks associated with misinformation and conspiracy theory may be heightened if the falsehoods are informing someone鈥檚 behaviour. Direnfeld told CTVNews.ca that he feels an obligation to intervene 鈥渋f I see somebody is about to engage in something harmful to themselves or others.鈥
But as noted earlier, it鈥檚 important not to intervene from a confrontational position that could push someone further into a rigid belief system.
When to stop
It won鈥檛 always work. Depending on the relationship, the adage that good fences make good neighbours, may be appropriate. If the conversation or intervention deteriorates into defensive reactions on both sides, perhaps it鈥檚 time to cut your losses, said Direnfeld.
鈥淭hen it is not an exercise in seeking better judgement and truth,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t becomes an exercise in winning.鈥
