Back in September, my Instagram feed sneakily began to fill up with posts about conspiracy theories and allegedly unwarranted censorship of conservatives. The culprits? Some of my favorite holistic wellness accounts on Instagram. The women I’d trusted to bring me the best advice on nutrition and health were now peddling back-door conspiracy theories to their thousands of followers. I was bewildered. How could these seemingly smart and educated women believe such outlandish theories?
Apparently, I was not alone in experiencing this phenomenon.
Several Instagram influencers have posted videos inviting users to “think for themselves” on hot topics like the COVID-19 pandemic, alleged child trafficking by Democrats and media censorship. These posts are often sandwiched between filtered photos and videos of workout routines or skincare tips, making it easy to digest as a follower.
The right-wing conspiracy cult QAnon (often referred to as “Q”) pushes conspiracy theories about the pandemic being a hoax to cover up a child sex trafficking ring by the “deep state,” aka Democrats. At the heart of this group is the belief that Donald Trump is the “savior” trying to fight off the satanic “Dems.”
While these influencers don’t appear to be completely consumed by the beliefs of QAnon, they are certainly doing a good job of selling Q’s rhetoric to the masses. That is what makes this so dangerous.
When an Instagram wellness influencer promotes a new skincare product or plant-based protein powder, there are thousands of devout worshippers in the form of followers taking their advice as gospel. So what’s to stop these same followers from believing in political conspiracy theories passed off as their personal beliefs? Many of their followers are younger and impressionable to what they hear from a supposed trusted source on the internet. For older followers who might be less familiar with the internet, they are equally as impressionable.
QAnon has successfully spread its message into the belly of the beast: a mainstream platform where ideas and products are sold to thousands in a matter of seconds by career influencers. These influencers are turning conspiracy theories into stylish, tangible ideas through their platforms.
“The original function of influencers was to be more relatable than mainstream media. They’re supposed to be presenting something that’s more authentic, trustworthy or embedded in reality,” said Sophie Bishop, a digital humanities lecturer. The perceived authenticity of influencers is what makes them so trustworthy to their base. For some followers, they may have been a fan of a particular wellness account for years, cementing trust as they consumed content.
I even found myself questioning my beliefs after taglines from my favorite accounts told me to “wake up” and “think for myself.” It was effective at making me feel like there was some obvious point I was missing. I quickly left those doubts behind, but for thousands of others, this is how they get pulled down the rabbit hole.
How are influencers getting involved with conspiracy theories like mass secret censorship, a hoax pandemic and sex trafficking rings in the first place? QAnon is skillfully speaking their language. Jennifer, a woman who unknowingly got pulled into QAnon conspiracies said, “these posts raised ‘innocent questions’––the kind that the online wellness community had always posed about mainstream health and medical narratives.”
These conspiracy theories appealed to the issues important to influencers––for example, some mothers got involved with the sex trafficking theory as concerned matriarchs. On my own feed, I saw health coaches preaching about COVID-19 being a hoax and not let fear drive your decisions.
They emphasize the maxims of the QAnon conspiracy in a way that makes someone feel included. “[I felt] like I was better informed than everyone else. It gives you this feeling of superiority. When people would challenge me, I would just be like, ‘You’re asleep. You’re not woke. You just don’t know,’” said Jennifer.
But the issue is, these influencers are encouraging the Q ideals of rejecting mass media and often aren’t doing their own research. Q thrives by spreading their news on social media, blogs or chat rooms devoted to sowing misinformation. These types of sites are where I’ve found my formerly favorite influencers linking to where they found their (mis)information.
No matter the topic, do research using credible websites that are designed for fact-checking. Pew Research Center is a credible site for fact-checking on various topics, including QAnon. Similarly, Factcheck.org is another good spot to fact-check information that gives you pause.
While it may be easy or desirable to want to be on the same page as some of our favorite influencer accounts, they are people prone to misinformation and misleading belief systems just like the rest of us. Whether you have followed them for one week or one year, take little stock in the information you find through social media.
