Is it because they’re stupid?
Experts have classified QAnon's appeal as comparable to that of religious cults. According to an expert in online conspiracy, Renee DiResta, QAnon's pattern of enticement is similar to that of cults in the pre-Internet era where, as the targeted person was led deeper and deeper into the group's secrets, they become increasingly isolated from friends and family outside the cult.
[125] Online support groups developed for those whose loved ones were drawn into QAnon, notably the
subreddit r/qanoncasualties, which grew from 3,500 participants in June 2020 to 28,000 by October.
[126] In the Internet age, QAnon virtual communities have little "real world" connection with each other, but online they can number in the tens of thousands.
[125] Rachel Bernstein, an expert on cults who specializes in recovery therapy, has said, "What a movement such as QAnon has going for it, and why it will catch on like wildfire, is that it makes people feel connected to something important that other people don't yet know about. ... All cults will provide this feeling of being special." There is no self-correction process within the group, since the self-reinforcing true believers are immune to correction, fact-checking, or counter-speech, which is drowned out by the cult's
groupthink.