Astroworld Concert Sparks Online Conspiracies Surrounding the Tragic Event

Jennifer Stromer-Galley, professor in the School of Information Studies and Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs, was quoted in The Guardian story “Astroworld disaster fuels wave of satanic conspiracy theories on TikTok.” Prof. Stromer-Galley was also quoted about the same topic in Insider and The Sun.

Professor Stromer-Galley, who studies social media platforms, discussed how young people can become susceptible to online conspiracies. In relation to the recent Astrofest, she commented, “We have this stereotype of conspiracy theorists being older people on social media, but young people can in some ways be more susceptible. We know that human brains really like sensational content, and teenage brains even more so because they are still developing.”