I Can Get Addicted!

Hello,

I’m going to start this with the most cliché opening: I love the Internet! Seriously though, over the last 13 years, my fascination with the weird, wonderful, and sometimes downright worrying corners of the Internet has pretty much shaped my entire career. So I thought, why not turn my thoughts into a newsletter?

Every fortnight, I’ll be taking you along as I dive deep into the wild world of Internet culture—breaking down how misinformation spreads, spilling the tea on the content creator economy, exposing the shady business of scams, and tackling the often creepy (but occasionally good!) world of AI.

I’ll be serving up a mix of insights, stories, and discoveries that you may love, hate, or—at the very least—raise an eyebrow at. Buckle up, it’s going to be a fun ride!

— Adrija

I Can Get Addicted To Conspiracy Theories

In a world where you can get an iPhone delivered in minutes but have to plan for a week to go to that party (thanks, anxiety), it's no wonder we look for some kind of sense amid the chaos. Enter conspiracy theories—those wild tales that somehow make the world a little more understandable, even if they make zero sense. For the last two weeks, I have been sucked into a hole of conspiracy theories on the all-famous rapper Diddy. No matter how much I try, the algorithm (both on Instagram and X) won’t let me escape it. The result? I have spent hours watching all kinds of conspiracy theories: From ‘Did Neil Armstrong really land on the moon?’ to ‘Are there aliens in India?”

The more I watched, Instagram threw more accounts that regularly and exclusively post content on conspiracy theories. Most of them don’t make any sense, and they get a lot of hate in their comments. But that doesn’t stop more accounts from popping up. Last I checked, there were over 90 accounts on Instagram that had ‘conspiracy theories’ in their names.

Coming back to Diddy. 

Apparently, the latest theory on social media is that Diddy, the music mogul who gave us I’ll Be Missing You (ironic, right?), was behind Tupac’s murder and even the death of his ex, Kim Porter. For a man known for launching the careers of Biggie Smalls and Mase, he's now being painted as a low-rent James Bond villain. But somehow, people are buying it. You know who isn’t buying it? Reality.

And while I was trapped in the Diddy conspiracy theories hole, I came across a reel that claimed Diljit Dosanjh—everyone’s favorite Punjabi phenomenon—is a member of the Illuminati (the 300-year-old secret group that continues to drive views on YouTube) His response? He deadpanned, "If a secret society is so easy to uncover, how secret could it really be?" 

But conspiracy theories thrive on social media for many reasons. First, let’s talk algorithms. These digital masterminds don’t care if you’re watching a kitten video or spiraling down a rabbit hole about aliens controlling the government. All they want is to keep you scrolling, and nothing makes you stay glued to your screen like some juicy, scandalous conspiracy. The more outlandish it is, the more likely it’ll spread. So, what started as one person wondering why Diddy’s always wearing sunglasses indoors can quickly snowball into “Diddy orchestrated every celebrity death since 1996.”

The Indian internet isn’t immune either. Remember when WhatsApp was flooded with messages claiming Prime Minister Narendra Modi had magical powers, after a video of him allegedly meditating while Cyclone Fani approached went viral? Apparently, a peaceful lotus position could shield the entire country from a natural disaster. 

And no one is immune to these internet driven conspiracy theories. My friend's grandmother, once glued to her radio in the 90s, had become a certified digital detective a few years ago. When Bollywood's latest whodunit hit the web—starring the late Sushant Singh Rajput—grandmother was watching all kinds of videos on YouTube. Suddenly, she was dishing out more plot twists than a soap opera, all courtesy of the #Justice4SSR rabbit hole.

Conspiracy theories thrive because they make us feel like we’re in on some grand secret that the man is trying to hide from us. Think about it. Social media takes every half-baked idea, gives it a platform, and then the internet turns into that meme of Charlie from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, pointing frantically at a wall of red string trying to connect all the dots. And, somehow, the dots are always connected to the most bizarre theory with zero facts.

Social media rumors about religious groups intentionally spreading COVID-19 went viral and led to communal violence. In a country already prone to polarisation, these theories serve as fuel. Remember when WhatsApp forwards claimed that anti-CAA protesters were being funded by international terrorist groups? A simple message, forwarded enough times, becomes dangerous misinformation. Just like that, the Internet shapes reality, and that reality can be deadly.

With Diddy and Diljit, conspiracy theories are essentially pop culture fever dreams mixed with paranoia. They’re also completely resistant to reality (Even BeerBiceps, on his show, asked Diljit about the hand gesture and its connection with Illuminati ).Facts? Please. Conspiracies don’t have time for your pesky facts. They evolve. Someone proves Diddy wasn’t even near the place when Tupac was shot? Doesn’t matter. There’s always a way to twist the narrative to keep the conspiracy alive.

The downside of all this, of course, is that while some conspiracy theories are laughable (looking at you, flat-Earthers), others can have deadly consequences. The digital wildfire of misinformation that led to mob lynchings in India or the January 6 insurrection in the U.S. are reminders of what happens when conspiracy theories escape the internet and infiltrate real life.

So, the next time you see a viral post claiming that, GPS chips are embedded inside Rs 2,000 notes to British gave India freedom only for 99 years, take a moment to laugh. Then take another moment to realise just how easy it is for a simple, outlandish idea to catch fire in the age of social media.

Who Am I?

I’m Adrija Bose, an award-winning journalist and Senior Editor at BOOM. With 13 years of experience in digital journalism, I’ve spent my career reporting on the intersection of technology, culture, gender, and the Internet. Three years ago, I launched Decode, an investigative vertical exploring the big stories shaping our digital lives. If you haven’t, check our reportage here. From online scams to AI-driven misinformation, my work has spanned some of the most pressing issues in the digital space. And now, through this newsletter, I’m excited to share what I’m discovering with you!

I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas, so feel free to hit reply and share your feedback. And if you stumble upon something fascinating, weird, or mind-blowing online, send it my way—I’d love to feature it in an upcoming edition.

See you in your inbox, every other Wednesday at 12 pm!

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