“Luke, I am your father”. Inside the viral power of false memory

02.06.2025 Analiza

Millions remember Nelson Mandela dying in prison – except he didn’t. Others are convinced the Monopoly man wears a monocle – he never has. And if you think Darth Vader said, “Luke, I am your father”, you’re not alone - but you’re also wrong. Welcome to the Mandela Effect, where collective false memories collide with the chaos of modern media.

This analysis examines the critical question of media oversaturation. Regardless of the extent of media in our lives, it is essential to consider how to become an active and informed consumer of media. Understanding the importance of this is particularly crucial in the current era, where the rapid and dissemination of information, both true and false, makes it increasingly challenging to distinguish between fact and fiction (Dinkin, 2023).

It is therefore more crucial than ever before for people to be aware of media literacy. Which according to NAMLE (The National Association for Media Literacy Education) is the ability to critically analyze, evaluate, and interpret information that we’re exposed to, through various media platforms. Media Literacy therefore becomes an essential skill to have, particularly in times where information is the new currency.

From fake news to false memories

One critical step to becoming an active consumer of media, is to understand how disinformation and misinformation work (OECD, 2022). Many people believe these two words to be interchangeable so this might help you understand the difference between them. Aïmeur, Amri and Brassard (2023) describe disinformation as the intentional sharing or spreading of false and misleading information; often across popular media platforms, including social media, search engines, and even mainstream news outlets; while misinformation on the other hand becomes the false beliefs shared by passive consumers of media without harmful intent as a result of the wide spread of disinformation.

This makes the former a byproduct of the latter and this further compounds the problem. Because while one is intentional, the other cannot help but happen. These dynamics shape perceptions, influence cognitive processes, and, in some cases, give rise to perplexing phenomena such as the Mandela Effect.

A deeper understanding of this effect shows us how our minds can be tricked and how society is indeed affected in a world full of scattered and unreliable information. And therefore, we can uncover insights into the current state of our media systems, the pressing need for media literacy, and how global citizens can use this understanding to navigate the complexities of contemporary media landscapes more effectively.

Origins, Examples, and Cognitive Mechanisms

The Mandela Effect is a term used to describe a collective false memory, a situation where a large group of people recall an event, fact, or detail that never actually occurred. This phenomenon was coined by Fiona Broome, a paranormal researcher, who noted that many people vividly remembered Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the 1980s, even though the icon survived his imprisonment to become president of South Africa and passed away in 2013. It’s also very surprising that such a phenomenon emerged in a time when media was less developed but still capable of shaping public perception through hearsay, limited reporting, and unreliable sources. So in a sense, it’s all about the exposure to the information.

Many examples of the Mandela Effect demonstrate its widespread nature. Jenkins and Vincent (2025) found that many people mistakenly remember the famous children’s book series as The Berenstein Bears instead of the correct The Berenstain Bears. Similarly, a big number of people recall the Monopoly man wearing a monocle when, in reality, he never has. Jenkins and Vincent also mentioned the misquoted line, “Luke, I am your father” from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back as another instance where collective memory deviates from the original dialogue, which is actually, “No, I am your father”. And these discrepancies just goes to show how cognitive processes can be influenced by social and environmental factors, including media.

There are but a few psychological theories that could explain how the Mandela Effect comes to be. One such potential theory is the groupthink theory, that suggests that individuals conform to group opinions and memories, even when these are inaccurate, due to a desire for social harmony (Dovetail, 2024). Another is the illusory truth effect, that demonstrates that repeated exposure to false information increases the likelihood of believing it to be true (Bromberg, 2023). And Finally, confirmation bias, which in this case would amplify this phenomenon by encouraging individuals to seek out and trust information that aligns with their pre-existing beliefs (Nickerson, 1998).

And one could argue that together, all these cognitive mechanisms interact with disinformation and misinformation, forming a feedback loop that mainly roots in false memories.

Media’s Role in Amplifying phenomena like the Mandela Eflect

Even though the Mandela Effect did not birth from a heavily digitalized age, its persistence can mainly be attributed to the nature of modern media platforms now.

Social media, especially, fosters echo chambers where individuals are mainly exposed to information that reinforces their pre-existing beliefs as suggests the confirmation bias theory. Moreover we have tools like algorithms that prioritize engagement over accuracy, leading to the viral spread of false claims. One commonly known example of this is the widely spread TikTok hoax that the reason why we answer calls with “Hello” is because the person who invented the telephone first used it to call his fiance at the time whose surname was Hello. And as captivating as this might sounds, it simply isn’t factually accurate because according to Krulwich (2011), Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, had a fiancée (and later wife) named Mabel Gardiner Hubbard, and the word “hello” actually became popular as a telephone greeting thanks to Thomas Edison. In fact, Bell himself preferred to use the term “Ahoy” as a greeting when using the telephone (Krulwich, 2011). So, technically the association between “Hello” and the telephone is real, but it doesn't stem from a romantic connection as most people think or would want to believe.

The problem though is that such content is rarely if ever fact-checked before it is shared, further extending misinformation.

When the gatekeepers vanish: trust, truth, and the new media landscape

Another contributing factor could also be the decline of traditional gatekeeping mechanisms in journalism. In earlier decades, editors and fact-checkers acted as filters, making sure of the accuracy of published information. However today, the democratization of information, while empowering in many ways, has also contributed to a rapid increase in unverified content. This shift emphasizes the importance of media literacy, since the responsibility for discerning truth now falls essentially on individual consumers.

This example of the Mandela Effect is with no doubt one of the many that offers a revealing lens through which we can examine the current state of media. Since It touches on a landscape where misinformation is widespread, trust in traditional information sources is eroding, and cognitive biases are exploited for profit and influence. This phenomenon also highlights the fragility of collective memory in an era of information overload. Especially since when media consumers lack the tools to critically evaluate information, they become more susceptible to false beliefs, which can have broader societal consequences, including political polarization and the erosion of social trust.

Awareness, education and media literacy

In confronting the risks posed by misinformation, disinformation, and phenomena like the Mandela Effect, the solution lies not in isolating ourselves from media but in actively engaging with it through critical awareness and education. Media literacy must become a cornerstone of modern education, empowering individuals to dissect the flood of information and discern fact from fiction. By fostering an understanding of cognitive biases and equipping individuals with tools to evaluate content critically, we can resist the exploitation of our minds for profit or manipulation. Furthermore, media platforms and policymakers bear a responsibility to invest in fact-checking initiatives, ethical content creation, and transparent algorithms that prioritize truth over virality.

During an interview conducted as part of an event at Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, media scholar Siva Vaidhyanathan aptly warned, “The problem is not that some people might believe something that’s not true. The problem is that most people might stop caring if anything is true”. Reclaiming our capacity for critical thought and the pursuit of truth is essential in an age where information is both an asset and a weapon. By taking these steps, we can not only navigate the complexities of contemporary media but also ensure that the future is marked by informed, resilient global citizens who value truth and integrity.

Written by: Sofia Salnykowa and Therese Mpongera Teta
Ilustracja: Hartono Creative Studio/Unsplash

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