Wiebke's Conspiracy World

Whether in Telegram chats, at demonstrations or in the Bundestag: conspiracy stories are omnipresent. Attacks like the one in Hanau and the coronavirus pandemic show how dangerous conspiracy stories can be for an entire society. Our project "Wiebkes wirre Welt - ein Keller voller Verschwörungen" ("Wiebke's tangled world - a cellar full of conspiracies") aims to strengthen the media literacy of people, especially young people, in this subject area.

Whoever visits Wiebke's cellar becomes a secret agent. The goal: radicalizing Wiebke, the inhabitant of the room. Every click in the room leads to a reaction and drives the story forward. We rely on people's curiosity. Complex content is conveyed in a playful and entertaining way. Our project is a mix of online game and film. Our technology combines multimedia content with interactivity. Linear storytelling meets exploration. If you listen to Wiebke in the linear storyline, you will already learn a lot about how conspiracy believers think. In addition, there are short and funny clips of the Youtuber Timo, who clarifies basic questions on the topic. The user can ask experts on topics like psychology, politics and exit counseling. Individual objects in the room are explained by texts. Fake news, lizard people, flat earth, chemtrails, the Jewish world conspiracy? We give very practical tips and tricks on how to respond to conspiracy narratives in everyday life. A link list offers hints for further reading.

Wiebke's Conspiracy World (original title ‘Wiebke's Wirre Welt’) was awarded the German Digital Award in Gold, as well as the Corona Special Award.

Exploring the World requires no prior knowledge and is also suitable for use in online lessons at schools or for homeschooling. The project is designed responsively and adapts in quality and content to the respective end devices. The psychologist and book author Pia Lamberty, the political scientist and right-wing extremism expert Andrea Röpke and the political didactic consultancy "Achtsegel" were involved in the realization of the project.