Over the past year or so, there has been a large growth of conspiracy theory topics. While the concept itself is certainly not new, the rising growth and popularity of them sure is, and for various reasons. The trend came on as a meme does: wild and very confusing. However, unlike various other aspects of pop culture, this trend shouldn’t die in any means. We will never get answers if we stop asking questions.

I first became aware of conspiracy theories when I was starting high school. It was around the anniversary of 9/11 and my parents were watching a TV documentary series called Conspiracy Theory, hosted by Jesse Ventura. There was one episode dedicated to 9/11 and all the factual errors about that day. My parents gave me a whole rundown about the episode and at the time, I found it very bizarre. I grew up hearing all about that tragic day and to find somethings did not add up with it? It was a tad bit heartbreaking. However, despite it never really leaving my mind, I did not fall too deep into the rabbit hole — at least not until a couple years later.

The summer before my senior year of high school was when my interest peaked — dramatically. Two of my friends and I were hanging out watching Youtube videos one afternoon. At the time, I was not one to spend my afternoons watching Youtube, so I was completely unprepared for what I was about to get thrown into. I remember very clearly the first video was one of Shane Dawson’s conspiracy theory videos and, at the time, conspiracy videos were not a popular genre in the Youtube community. However, despite them not being quite as popular for anyone else, I was absolutely hooked. And I mean — really, really, hooked. I remember very clearly all the Scientology theories are what dragged me in. It was an unstoppable force. I binge watched all the videos and then went on to dig up any other videos I could find on the internet. I remember coming up short because still, for the time, it was not a very popular subject among society.

What I recall being the turning point for theories was when Twitter introduced the Twitter threads. This not only let people send out a string of tweets like a deconstructed book but it also let everyday, regular people put theories out to the world. This method of information sharing blew up and made the infamous “Avril Lavigne is dead and replaced by a lookalike” theory incredibly popular. The theory traveled across all platforms: from Twitter to Instagram to Tumblr and back. An old theory was picking up so much traction, other people used the newfound popularity of theories and Twitter threads to begin telling other ideas. In this short amount of time, Youtube videos were being made, people were beginning to talk more about theories, and the world outside of the video social media was beginning to latch on to the trend. Soon, I was no longer my friends go-to conspiracy theorist. I was no longer the only one sitting around after school, soaking in the information. I had a run for my money. And I loved it.

Conspiracy theories became much more mainstream. Of course, they had always been there but now there was a greater acceptance of them. As the popularity grew, the more serious the theories became. People were dipping into theories about Area 51, aliens, 9/11, JFK assassination, moon landings… almost anything you could ever think of, there was a theory for it. It brought on this great era of people questioning everything along with really wanting to get information of our corporations and our government. You could feel this pressure, this tension, for answers. While there was still people who took all of this as one big joke, the jokes still kept an awareness going. It felt like that time in the 90s where everyone wanted answers about aliens but a hundred times crazier now thanks to the internet. It truly was the era of questioning everything.

Despite the raging popularity it once had, people slowly began to stop talking about the theories. Twitter threads turned into story times. Youtube videos started focusing on horror stories or other wild trends in the community. So, eventually, this wildness just blew over and that was dangerous. For a moment, the entire world was looking at companies and the government for answers about things that just could not be explained. While we may not have gotten many answers, it was still an intense time of curiosity but because it left as fast as it came, we may never get any explanations. This is how we are continuously taken advantage of by organizations and corporations. If we just stop asking questions, just stop noticing or paying attention, they can continue on with what they are doing. We did not let Apple get away with slowing down our phones (which did first start out as a theory!) so why should we leave other information be hidden from us? Because it was just a trend? It is never "just a trend". These questions and theories come up because things don’t add up. A good portion of theories are not just pulled out of thin air. There is reasoning and evidence behind all of it. Because everyday people find all this evidence and proof, we can really start a force if we go after major inconsistencies in the world. If it can work in the Apple case, why can’t it work for the hundreds of other problematic situations in the world? Even if the CEOs and politicians turn away, try to ignore the pestering, we can be that annoying fly that can eventually get them to slip up and give ordinary people the answers they want.

So, please speak up. Please be aware. Please ask questions because the truth is always out there. Please don’t turn a blind eye.