Conspiracy theories are a constant topic of debate amongst the Dubs. Driven by people with imaginations out of this world, the creation of these theories is truly a psychological war. Conflicting stories and contrasting perspectives drive their objectives. Did that event actually happen?  Was their murder a plot to achieve a certain political purpose? These are questions that are asked after the occurrence of events with suspicious outcomes. At North Atlanta High School, a school that truly reflects the world outside, students share their opinions on some of the most popular conspiracy theories to date.

The fascination behind conspiracy theories is remarkable. They provide explanations for unexplainable events. A cultural phenomena indeed, conspiracy beliefs are widespread and have normality in mass media. These hypothetical reasonings help us rationalize occurrences with indecipherable causes – for example, the disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370.  Senior Chance McPherson finds conspiracy theories especially interesting. “I think I’m fascinated the most by the conspiracy theory revolving around the Loch Ness monster,” he said. “There is a lot of evidence that supports that it is real, like live footage.”

There are an infinite number of conspiracy theories that we as a society have obsessed over. The more popular theories include: whether or not the moon landing actually happened and the infamous deaths of Princess Diana and President John F. Kennedy. When it comes to these three particular topics, opinions are split. Junior Sam Tuck unequivocally believes that JFK’s assasination was a plot configured by the CIA. However, Tuck does not believe in the moon landing conspiracy. “It had to have been real,” he said. “I think it would have been too difficult to fake it at the time it happened.” 

Conspiracy theories do not always create a relaxed atmosphere. Fabricated stories can generate conflict and create division between groups of people or even nations. Junior Grace Fors finds them quite enthralling however some concern her such as QAnon. Unfortunately, conspiracy theories can spawn a web of misinformation. Fors thinks that conspiracy theories are not physiologically beneficial. “Many people can get too invested in the idea of certain theories and overlook reality,” she said. 

Shaping our world and ideologies – conspiracy theories drive curiosity and force analysis. Without question, manipulating the truth can be harmful. For now, however, the most unlikely conspiracy theory is that the Dubs don’t care about conspiracy theories at all.