Finding 6
Although pupils report encountering conspiracy theories, most pupils don't think they are a problem.
Summary:
While there is growing concern in the academic literature, media and from adults around conspiracy theories, disinformation and misinformation in schools, this was not mirrored by young people.
Although young people did not report significant concern around conspiracy theories, their responses suggest that these issues are relatively prevalent in schools.
Pupils participating in qualitative research often expressed that it didn't matter what people believed, as long as it didn't affect others.
While pupils did not necessarily think that all conspiracy theories were problematic, they did recognise the harmful nature of a number of conspiracy theories.
Although parents reported concerns around conspiracy theories in schools, only 41% of parents agreed that they would encourage their child to avoid friends who spread conspiracy theories.
While there is growing concern in the academic literature, media and from adults around conspiracy theories, disinformation and misinformation in schools, this was not mirrored by young people. Overall, only 20% of pupil respondents consider conspiracy theories to be a problem at their school.
This is not to say conspiracy theories are not prevalent. 51% of respondents claimed that someone in their class believes in information that they would consider to be a conspiracy theory and 52% said that they have encountered someone on social media who believes in a conspiracy theory.
This gap between prevalence and concern may in part reflect the definitional differences which underpin this project. This finding is driven by the differences between the examples of conspiracy theories that young people are thinking of, and the ones school staff and parents are thinking of.
There was also a sense in our qualitative research that it didn’t matter what people believed as long as it didn’t affect others. This was not to suggest that conspiracy theories did not harm others, but more that conspiracy belief was not inherently harmful.
I wouldn’t talk about it [social media] to my parents, because it’s not that deep.”
“It doesn’t matter what people believe if it doesn’t affect others.”
While pupils did not necessarily think that all conspiracy theories were problematic, they did recognise the harmful nature of a number of examples. The Covid-19 microchip theories (79%), great replacement theory (73%) and young men being deliberately excluded by society (63%) were the three identified by most pupils as harmful.
Graph 6: Looking at those same examples, would you say that people believing this is harmful or not? [Pupils]
The majority of pupils (52%) also said that there was at least one conspiracy theory that, if one of their friends believed, they would struggle to stay friends with them. Specifically which conspiracy theories would inhibit friendships was not consistent; Holocaust denial was the most commonly-cited conspiracy theory that would make friendships difficult, but it was only selected by 21% of pupils.
Graph 7: Of those, are there any which if a friend of yours said they believed you would struggle to stay friends with them? Select any which apply [Pupils]
Surprisingly, although parents reported concerns around conspiracy theories in schools, only 41% of parents agreed that they would encourage their child to avoid friends who spread conspiracy theories; lower than the number of young people who would themselves avoid friendships because of someone’s conspiracy beliefs.
Looking more closely, younger parents were more likely to agree- 58% of 25-34-year-old parents versus only 38% of 55-64-year-old parents. This may reflect the corresponding age of the children involved, or it could be a sign that younger parents who are more digitally literate have greater concerns around conspiracy belief.