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QAnon Followers are a Danger to American Democracy
It’s been six months since QAnon posted online. The last post by QAnon, known as a Q drop, was on December 8th. After the January 6th Capitol insurrection, many Q believers lost faith in QAnon and its prophecies. For other believers, they are now looking for answers and scouring previous Q drops for clues.
Radicalization and recruitment into extremist groups usually begins with individuals who are dissatisfied with their lives, who lack security, and who want to feel good about themselves and their identity groups. Oftentimes a life-altering event has taken place, such as divorce, death of a family member, loss of job, or home. As individuals try to make sense of recent events, they begin to look for answers. During this time, they usually experience feelings of dissatisfaction, feelings of low self-worth, and become withdrawn from society.
During this time, people find themselves vulnerable to misinformation and more willing to subscribe to conspiracy theories to make sense of the world around them. For QAnon believers, Q checked all the boxes. It created an online community where people would crawl through online data sources for clues to solve mysterious Q drops. Q believers shared theories, enjoyed rewards through engagement, and found a sense of belonging in the Q community with other like-minded individuals.
