Short-form videos and their influence on the spread and acceptance of conspiracy theories
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12795/Ambitos.2025.i68.10Keywords:
social media, conspiracy theories, information overload, short videos, fake news, critical thinkingAbstract
In recent years, social media has become one of the main tools for the consumption and dissemination of information, and the implementation of short-format videos within them has helped this information exchange to take place more quickly. This literature review arises from the need to identify the role that short-form videos play in the acceptance and dissemination of false information, specifically conspiracy theories, among users of various social platforms. To accomplish this, different sources were reviewed, including scientific articles and books published between the years 2018 and 2024 that were related to conspiracy theories, the implementation of short-form videos in different social media, the use of critical thinking for the evaluation of information in social media, and the dissemination of false information through these media. This review, at first, establishes the conditions that a user needs for the acceptance and dissemination of conspiracy theories, as well as the consequences of the excessive consumption of short-form videos and how this can affect the evaluation of the information that reaches users. The findings indicate that excessive consumption of short-form videos can reduce critical thinking skills and promote the acceptance of conspiracy theories, especially in contexts of informational overload. Additionally, users who spread these theories were found to share common patterns, such as prolonged exposure to repetitive content and participation in echo chambers.
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