Many people begin to research Q-Anon because a friend or family member told them to. It is a rabbit hole that people fall into. It is primarily a digital movement, meaning that once someone looks up one thing about Q-Anon, they will be pushed many other articles and videos about it through internet algorithms. The BBC documentary, “The Cult of Conspiracy: Q-Anon,” takes a deeper look into how a few people fell down the rabbit hole. One woman, Neely, was introduced to Q-Anon by a friend. This friend had no intentions of getting Neely to be a believer in the conspiracy, but Neely fell down the rabbit hole and became obsessed with the world of Q-Anon. Neely goes on to kill a man that had been helping her get custody of her children because she believed that he was a part of the cabal of government Satanists. Even after being sent to prison for murder and not having custody of her children, Neely still believes that “Q” with the help of people like Donald Trump will save both her and America.
Another story the BBC documentary focuses on is that of another woman, Amanda. She was in a bad situation, working a dangerous job, lost a best friend to an overdose, and found a way out with Q-Anon. She started doing her own research into Q-Anon and it gave her hope and a sense of purpose. Q-Anon gave her something to support and believe in and brought her stability and community.
Many Q-Anon supporters come from right-wing backgrounds. People who started as normal Republicans got absorbed into the conspiracy through peers and politicians. Many right-wing sources won’t blatantly say that they support Q-Anon, but also will not deny it. Politicians such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump, and many others will allude to “Q” and Q-Anon beliefs and actions but will not outrightly say that they support it. Still, this causes many of their supporters to begin researching Q-Anon and fall down the rabbit hole. These people make up a large portion of the basis of Q-Anon and often become the people who spread the message to new people.
