Conspiracy theories, fake news & Fact checker: who is telling the truth?

Since the coronavirus pandemic, conspiracy theories have become a phenomenon for society as a whole. Both the virus and the government measures against it have caused existential fears for many people. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East go hand in hand with fake news and one-sided portrayals. We currently have the ideal breeding ground for bold "theories" about global connections, power-political interests and disinformation, particularly in social media.

How do we as a society deal with people who express doubts about the prevailing opinions? What are the causes of increasing radicalization? The current crises harbour the danger of an increasing polarization of our society.

This lecture will address the following questions, among others:
- To what extent can conspiracy theories and fake news be dangerous?
- Where does the conviction that we can correctly assess "the situation" ourselves come from?
- Why do we tend to pigeonhole people ("Nazis", "conspiracy theorists")?
- Are the frequently outlined character traits of so-called conspiracy theorists also to be found in us? The need to be right, polarizing black-and-white thinking, naïve handling of information and false reports and devaluing those who think differently?
- How do I communicate with people who have opposing convictions to my own?
- How do you give young people guidance in an increasingly complex media world?

Further information: https://www.neon-rosenheim.de/