Blog 1: Mass Delusions and Hysteria

Mass hysteria occurs when a group of people start to believe or behave irrationally, often driven by shared fear, uncertainty, or pressure, rather than facts or physical causes. 

You may have heard someone say, “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid,” as a warning not to fall for something blindly. It comes from what happened in Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978, when over 900 people died after having a drink laced with cyanide. They were followers of cult leader Jim Jones, and many believed they were doing something meaningful because of how deeply they had been manipulated.

What’s especially disturbing is how Jones controlled the information his followers received. He isolated them from outside information, portrayed journalists as enemies, and created a world where questioning him could cost you everything. As The Washington Post put it, “Jones had managed to cut off nearly all outside contact and created an environment of intense social pressure where dissent was punished and conformity was rewarded.”

And while that happened decades ago, the psychology behind it hasn’t changed; it’s just taken on new forms in today’s world. Instead of being physically isolated like Jonestown’s followers, we now find ourselves in digital echo chambers, where algorithms filter what we see and hear.

Influencers often act like modern-day cult leaders, offering confident answers to complex problems. Clickbait headlines and conspiracy theories spread faster than actual news. Too often, we can’t tell the difference. Meanwhile, real journalism is being defunded today, with local news outlets shutting down and fact-checked reporting replaced by emotionally charged content.

This makes us more vulnerable than ever. Just like in Jonestown or the Salem Witch Trials, fear, uncertainty, and isolation create the perfect storm for mass delusion. When people feel overwhelmed, they reach for anything that feels solid, even if it’s a lie.

According to the Four Theories of the Press, the media can:

• Serve the state (Authoritarian),
• Serve the people freely (Libertarian),
• Balance freedom with responsibility (Social Responsibility),
• Or push state ideology (Soviet/Communist).

America is supposed to follow the Social Responsibility model, but with clickbait, defunding, and rising misinformation and disinformation, are we really living up to that?

Who do you trust for news?
Are we using our media freedom wisely, or just drinking new versions of Kool-Aid?

Links:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/40-years-ago-this-journalist-survived-the-jonestown-massacre-he-warns-it-could-happen-again/2018/11/16/bae22596-e9aa-11e8-b8dc-66cca409c180_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2024/12/18/jonestown-massacre-tours-guyana/