It didn’t take long for people to spin elaborate scenarios about the events of October 1. Suddenly, conspiracy theories were local—and struck a nerve. The speculation triggered painful memories and seemed to delegitimize survivors’ personal experiences. So, how to proceed when a friend posts a cringe-worthy conspiracy on social media?
First, you have to decide whether or not to scroll on. “Coming out of the gate and refuting somebody is not going to lead to any productive dialogue,” says Jill Schiefelbein, author of the book Dynamic Communication. Unless you’re willing to have a civil conversation where you sincerely try to understand your friend’s point of view, it’s probably better to stay mum. If you choose to engage, Schiefelbein suggests acknowledging your friend’s beliefs, asking non-accusatory questions and never starting a sentence with the word “you.”
One of the pitfalls of trying to convince your friends of “the truth,” is that facts might backfire, causing believers to double down. This is called the Boomerang Effect, explains UNLV communication studies professor Emma Bloomfield. She says that disengaging or isolating friends who don’t agree isn’t beneficial, either. Instead, she suggests finding common ground (such as a shared love of country music) and then sharing memories instead of facts. “Stories convey information without activating the Boomerang Effect,” Bloomfield says. “Personal narratives are more convincing than official messages.”
These strategies worked for Las Vegan Joe Vargas and his friends. He wrote a Facebook post speculating about a second shooter at Route 91. The post went viral, but Vargas deleted it when a friend explained how the controversy was hurtful to survivors. “It was the right thing to do,” Vargas says of removing the post. “I can have my opinion, but I have to respect the people trying to recover. I was in the military for eight years, so I’m very familiar with PTSD, but I didn’t think about these things [when I was posting].”
Vargas is no stranger to conspiracy theories. Last week, his Tweet launched the Melania Trump body-double conspiracy. The instant notoriety both boosted Vargas’ business, BuyLegalMeds.com, and garnered death threats. After standing in the eye of an Internet hurricane, Vargas has come to the conclusion that conspiracy theories fall into the same category as politics and religion: Don’t discuss.
