Letting users on TikTok, Reddit, or Instagram go crazy with theories seems harmless, but in reality, it may be much more than harmful or deeper than some may think.

      In this age of social media, rumors can run wild. Rumors can eventually turn into full-blown conspiracy theories; threads of online information can be posted pointing to a certain idea. This is common among the internet these days, where people will add on to and continue the so-called “lore” of these ideas.

      Internet celebrity Trisha Paytas has had two conspiracies regarding her family in the past two years. In 2022, Paytas was pregnant with her first baby, a girl. Around the time of her due date was when Queen Elizabeth II, the previous English monarch, had passed away at 96 years old. This is when users online started the rumors that Paytas was going to give birth to the reincarnation of Queen Elizabeth.

      According to nbcnews.com, “Paytas gave birth to her first child, Malibu Barbie Paytas-Hacmon, on Sept. 14, 2022, less than a week after Queen Elizabeth II died. This led to an influx of memes about the queen being reincarnated as Paytas’ eldest daughter.” The article continues, “after it was announced that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer, Paytas quickly started trending on X. Users made more jokes about the king dying and being reborn as Paytas’ second child,” as she is currently pregnant with her second baby. “I get the meme of it all,” [says Paytas.] “I was able to lean into the Queen Elizabeth one a little bit, but it also terrifies me that people believe in it enough.”

      But it doesn’t just stop at random theories about people you see online; there are some theories out there that could be much more harmful. According to blogs.luc.edu, “a journalist reported that a Reddit user first introduced the concept that Mattress Firm, the largest mattress retailer in the world, is actually a front for money laundering.” This intrigued people all over the world, causing people on the internet to examine the reality of the stores.

      These theories started mainly because of the amount of stores and their proximity to each other. Blogs.luc.edu stated that “Mattress Firm has an estimated 3,272 stores across the nation and, according to data start-up Thinkum, almost half of those stores are within a one-mile radius of each other.” The article continued saying, “Reddit users were baffled at the need for that many stores since people don’t buy mattresses that often – a product that is typically bought every [seven to ten] years. At the height of the viral conspiracy theory, then-CEO Ken Murphy denied money laundering claims calling it “absolutely false.” He explained to Business Insider that “Our convenient locations in highly-trafficked areas keep us top of mind when it’s time to buy a mattress.”

     While some theories are simple jokes or rumors, some can be taken way too far. Be careful what you share on the internet, and remember that sometimes there are real people involved before you become an internet sleuth.