Scroll Smarter: Talking about conspiracy theories

May 12, 2026

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in this issue

Family Q&A | Top story | Bonus reads | Video of the month | Reader poll

Talking about conspiracy theories with teens

Question: 

How do you help teens figure out what is likely to be a conspiracy theory?

— Overwhelmed

Answer: 

You’re right to be concerned about your kids’ exposure to conspiracy theories.

What we know:

• Eight out of 10 teens who are on social media reported seeing conspiracy theory posts, and an overwhelming majority of them (81%) say they are inclined to believe one or more of them, according to a News Literacy Project 2024 survey of American teens.
• Knowledge helps: News literacy teaches young people how to evaluate evidence and understand why conspiracy theories can feel so compelling and comforting.

So if a teen mentions or asks about a known conspiracy theory, a good first step is to listen. Remember you’re a trusted adult that they chose to share with.

Then ask them what questions they would need answered before making up their mind about a claim. Work together to explore those questions through lateral reading, evaluating sources and evidence along the way.

But it’s often hard to know what counts as a conspiracy theory. After all, there is no official organization that labels some bogus claims as conspiracy theories, while others just remain ordinary falsehoods. But conspiracy theories do distinguish themselves in several ways:

• They explain major events as the work of secret groups. Conspiracy theories offer fantastical but ultimately simple and reassuring narratives. They claim the world’s problems aren’t actually complex and nuanced, but rather the work of evil groups.
• They have a web of false beliefs. Conspiracy theories aren’t one-off, isolated falsehoods — they are part of a system of false beliefs. Claiming that the Earth is flat, for example, requires the broader and more fundamental belief that a group is actively covering this up and fabricating evidence of a spherical planet.
• They offer community as well as a sense of purpose, control and superiority. All humans need a sense of belonging and acceptance. We’re also drawn to ideas that shore up our ego and make us feel smarter or more capable than everyone else around us (for example, the idea that we’re way better drivers than everyone else on the road).
• They rely on faulty reasoning and false evidence. Everyone has encountered a conspiratorial or mystical claim for which the evidence seems too compelling to ignore. But this is almost always due to lapses and limitations in our thinking. Cognitive biases, logical fallacies, cherry-picked coincidences and motivated reasoning are all prominent features of conspiratorial thinking.
• They require almost impossible secrecy. A 2016 study found that a conspiracy requiring the cooperation of hundreds of people is extremely unlikely to remain a secret for long.

Keep in mind that anyone can fall for misinformation and conspiracy theories. Try to keep conversations civil and productive, and don’t dismiss teens who share their conspiratorial beliefs. It can make a big difference to have a patient and thoughtful conversation with a parent, guardian or trusted adult in their life.

➡️ Do you have a question for us? Share it in this form and we may answer it in a future issue. We can address questions about artificial intelligence, social media, journalism, misinformation and more in a family-oriented way.

⭐ You’ll win swag from the News Literacy Project if your question is picked! Questions may be edited or rephrased for clarity and length.

Consulting Dr. Bot

More people are turning to AI chatbots for health advice. Sometimes that can be helpful, and sometimes it’s dangerous.

What to know:

🤖 After consulting with Perplexity, a search engine powered by AI, a Seattle man delayed cancer treatment recommended by his oncologist. He died last year.

➡️ Before his death, his adult son, Ben Riley, argued with him about his tendency to trust AI-generated medical advice over that of his doctor. Riley, who writes a newsletter about AI, told The New York Times that he felt like he and his dad had no “shared sense of what is true and false.”

⚠️ Recent studies of leading AI chatbots found that they give misleading medical advice half of the time. Teens are using AI to generate diet plans, but research shows that AI models can miss key nutritional requirements or encourage eating disorder symptoms.

What you can do:

🗨️ Learn how your teens use AI by having a conversation with them. Ask them: Do you use AI for health and wellness advice? If so, how? How do you know if AI-generated information is credible or not?

🗣️ For more conversation prompts, see No. 6 in this teen safety infographic. You can also refer to the takeaways in this infographic that outlines six things to know about AI.

🧠 Remind your kids that AI-generated medical advice is not a replacement for doctors and medical professionals. If you have older teens, share Riley’s story with them as a cautionary tale.

📱 Meeting classmates online: Incoming college freshmen have a new way to meet future classmates — college “class pages” on Instagram that share students’ bios and photos. These accounts are now being monetized by third-party companies.

📵 Screen restrictions: Amid growing research on the harms of excessive screen time for kids — and parents’ mounting opposition to it — Los Angeles schools banned screen time for young kids before second grade. Elementary students in Iowa may also face screen time restrictions soon.

⚠️ Celebrity deepfakes: Beware of phony TikTok “rewards” programs that feature AI-generated videos of celebrities like Rihanna and Taylor Swift — they’re scams.

👨‍⚕️ Neurodivergent misinfo: British researchers found that the rise in attention-deficient/hyperactivity disorder and autism misinformation on social media is also driving an uptick in young people believing they have these conditions.

Did someone forward you this newsletter?

Two Truths and AI: Which viral video is AI-generated?

Videos of people exploring vacant, run-down shopping centers rack up considerable views and likes on social media — so much so that some dishonest creators are sneaking AI videos into the mix for a share of the attention. Play our “Two Truths and AI” game and learn tips for detecting fabricated videos when you encounter them in the wild.

Reader poll

👉 Last month, we asked how it usually goes when you discuss news as a family. Half of you said, “OK: It can cause some big emotions, but we agree it’s important” and 30% said these conversations go very well. A minority, 20%, said these conversations don’t go well.

Next question: How do you feel about today’s information landscape?

⚪ Overwhelmed: There’s too much information and I’d rather tune it out.

⚪ Excited: It offers more ways to be informed about more topics than ever before.

⚪ Uncertain: Unsure what to make of it.

We will share poll results in the next Scroll Smarter issue.

Thanks for reading!

Your monthly issue of Scroll Smarter is created by Susan Minichiello, Alee Quick, Peter Adams, Hannah Covington and Katherine Weaver. It is edited by Lourdes Venard.