Birds Aren't Real, or Are They? Inside a Gen Z Conspiracy Theory.

[marble falls]

Birds Aren’t Real, or Are They? Inside a Gen Z Conspiracy Theory.

Peter McIndoe, the 23-year-old creator of the viral Birds Aren’t Real movement, is ready to reveal what the effort is really about.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/09/technology/birds-arent-real-gen-z-misinformation.html

By Taylor Lorenz

Dec. 9, 2021

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-snip-

The events were all connected by a Gen Z-fueled conspiracy theory, which posits that birds don’t exist and are really drone replicas installed by the U.S. government to spy on Americans. Hundreds of thousands of young people have joined the movement, wearing Birds Aren’t Real T-shirts, swarming rallies and spreading the slogan.

-snip-

What Birds Aren’t Real truly is, they say, is a parody social movement with a purpose. In a post-truth world dominated by online conspiracy theories, young people have coalesced around the effort to thumb their nose at, fight and poke fun at misinformation. It’s Gen Z’s attempt to upend the rabbit hole with absurdism.

-snip-

Most Birds Aren’t Real members, many of whom are part of an on-the-ground activism network called the Bird Brigade, grew up in a world overrun with misinformation. Some have relatives who have fallen victim to conspiracy theories. So for members of Gen Z, the movement has become a way to collectively grapple with those experiences. By cosplaying conspiracy theorists, they have found community and kinship, Mr. McIndoe said.
The Spread of Misinformation and Falsehoods

-snip-

Then in January 2017, Mr. McIndoe traveled to Memphis to visit friends. Donald J. Trump had just been sworn in as president, and there was a women’s march downtown. Pro-Trump counterprotesters were also there. When Mr. McIndoe saw them, he said, he ripped a poster off a wall, flipped it over and wrote three random words: “Birds Aren’t Real.”

-snip-


I'm liking Gen Z more every day.

[underpants]

1. I figured it was the new Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

👍

R’Amen

[thucythucy]

2. This reminds me of the Da Da movement in post WWI Germany.

Surrealists such as George Grosz, who set out to mock militarism, nationalism, and the upper crust who had led the nation into the catastrophe of a world war.

They were all suppressed once the Nazis came to power, with Grosz leaving Germany and eventually settling on Long Island.

Kudos to Gen Z.

[Deuxcents]

3. A novel idea.. fight back with the same nonsense mentality. I like it

[CrispyQ]

4. LOL

I heard about this CT a few years ago & couldn't believe there was a spoof movement.

https://birdsarentreal.com

4. WHAT IS BIRD POOP?

Bird poop was originally thought to be oil discharge from earlier bird drone models. After further research though, this was disproven. Bird poop irregularly falls on vehicles in large amounts. Recent studies show that 87% of Bird Poop in populated areas falls on people’s cars. Why is this? Confidential documents leaked in 2018 revealing that “Bird Poop” is actually a form of liquidated tracking apparatus. If you walk outside and notice some bird poop just “happened” to fall on your car, be aware that you are now being tracked by the United States Government. It is recommended you clean your car exterior regularly to avoid this.

[PatSeg]

10. Ha, ha, ha!

[nolabear]

5. I have a T-shirt! They're fabulous.

[LoveTheDU]

15. I have a t-shirt!

Loved this the minute I heard about it

[Hekate]

18. Impressive as all get out. I wonder if they have the same creepy feeling I have about "Q" ...

That it all started in one evil individual’s laptop, with that person saying “I wonder just how far I can take this?”

Birds Aren’t Real rips Q apart and mocks it. You have a T-shirt? I never heard of them — and there you are, all avant-garde.

Cheers!

[nolabear]

20. It's a great filter. If someone sees it and grins you know they're cool.

I am impressed they’ve lasted this long. It’s a dedicated parody for sure.

[TigressDem]

6. So had to look up when Gen Z is... officially

There are random answers, but this one seems thought out

The generations today each span 15 years with

Generation Y (Millennials) born from 1980 to 1994;

Generation Z from 1995 to 2009 and

Generation Alpha from 2010 to 2024. And so it follows that

Generation Beta will be born from 2025 to 2039.

[marble falls]

8. Seems about right for me.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

7. This story is almost a year old -- the "finally" cracked me up, because this has been known since

Day 1.

[marble falls]

9. The objective was to show that stories take on a life of their own true or not ...

... that in fact debunking a conspiracy theory can actually make a conspiracy take on new life, that the debunking becomes its own conspiracy.

[House of Roberts]

11. Robot pigeons from the planet Xenu?

Thom Hartmann has spoken many times about them.

[SWBTATTReg]

12. What's next? Insect drones? I remember an X-Files show where insect drones were on the show

and so realistic that it was hard to tell that they weren't real until they got smashed up. Many years ago, I never believed such stories that were prevalent that there were insect drones. But now, w/ the sizing of electronic components getting smaller and smaller, and satellites literally everywhere as a means of communications w/ a base, it's harder to dismiss this out of hand.

Look at the drones from, let's say even just 10 years ago, and what's there now. A big difference, magnitudes better, more capable.

[KS Toronado]

13. They are helping people develop Critical Thinking Skills

for when they vote.

[Lancero]

14. I get the idea, but I'm pretty sure this is also how Flat Earth became a thing.

[KS Toronado]

16. Done a web search on "Birds aren't real t-shirt"

Lots of different styles & prices, ordered this one, should be a great conversation starter in my red town.
"You want to believe the covid vaccine has tracking devices? I believe all birds are Gov. drones tracking us!"

[Sympthsical]

17. Taylor Lorenz with another "Hello, fellow kids!" article

This would've made sense to write maybe five years ago.

It's an amusing enough phenomenon. It's been online for quite a while. I want to say it was 2017 or so when I started seeing stickers on lampposts outside my bank.

[sakabatou]

19. Please tell me this was a joke that got out of hand

[nolabear]

21. Oh it's totally a joke but not out of hand.

They’re pretty damned funny.

[Aussie105]

22. No, this is serious!

It's not the feathered drones you need to worry about so much, just wear a different baseball cap every day when you go out and they can't track you.

No, the real problem are the roaches wired for sound.
Killed one the other day, had a miniature microphone and transmitter on his back.

Seriously they are listening to your every word, every phone conversation!

How else did the FBI know to bust the drug ring next door? Tell me that, you sceptics!