Narratives about the Origin of COVID-19 on Twitter with an Emphasis on Conspiracy Theory

Abstract

The primary idea of the following paper is to identify and analyze posts on Twitter about the origins of the coronavirus and the responses to the pandemic outbreak through the conspiracy theories that place China, communism, and other international social and political players as responsible for the creation and dissemination of the SARS-CoV-2. The theoretical contributions of this article resort to the understanding of conspiracy theories' production and diffusion considered from a socio-anthropological perspective, bringing into evidence the concept of conspiracy theory. The methodology assumes that the means of experiencing reality and constructing new cognitive and social processes are currently being affected by the internet with its digital platforms, social networks, and new technologies, altering how societies understand the world and its events. The research shows that social networks, such as Twitter, can function as the basis for new social processes of this century. The integration of different generations with new technologies finds on the internet a new space for developing new common-sense knowledge and expressing political, ideological, and social stances.