The Echo of Fear

From War of the Worlds to Modern Mass Hysteria

In the quiet darkness of childhood evenings, i discovered the magic of radio storytelling. My mother and grandfather would tune in to old-time radio shows, filling my nights with the voices of Dragnet and Suspense and the atmospheric drama of CBS Mystery Radio Theater.

What captivated me wasn't just the stories themselves, but the artistry behind them. How creators could paint entire worlds using nothing but sound, voice, and silence. They mastered the art of compelling narrative within the confines of an audio-only medium, a skill that would later prove both powerful and potentially dangerous.

This early fascination with radio storytelling led me to study one of broadcasting's most infamous moments, the 1938 Halloween broadcast of War of the Worlds, produced and narrated by Orson Welles. The broadcast demonstrated the raw power of selective information combined with existing anxiety. A recipe for mass hysteria that would echo through the decades, finding new life in our modern digital age.

The parallels between that historic broadcast and today's events are all there as i watch the New Jersey drone scare unfold across social media and news outlets. The same ingredients at work:

• Selective information

• Heightened anxiety

• Viral spread of unverified reports

The main difference lies in the speed and scale at which misinformation can now spread.

Living near Salt Lake International Airport's runway 34R, i've spent decades watching aircraft follow their predictable approach paths across the sky. These familiar patterns recently became the subject of something far more ominous in my community's collective imagination.

One evening, i opened my Ring app, typically a mundane feed of lost pets and mischievous teenagers, only to find it transformed into a chronicle of fear. My neighbors, the same ones who had watched (probably ignored) these aircraft patterns for years, were now reporting massive drones "the size of semi trucks" flying in formation toward Salt Lake City. The comments section erupted with urgent calls to contact law enforcement, each post feeding into a growing spiral of panic.

The frustration i feel watching this unfold stems not just from the misidentification of routine air traffic but from the deeper realization that we're witnessing history repeat itself due to our failure to learn from it.

Perhaps had we not attacked and deprioritized our educational systems, then just perhaps students learning about historical examples of mass hysteria like the War of the Worlds broadcast would have caused people to pause and recognize the same pattern playing out today.

Instead, we see the same elements that Welles unknowingly exploited in 1938 playing out in real-time, a small initial audience sharing their fears with others, trusted sources amplifying unverified claims, and media outlets eager to capitalize on the growing panic.

What makes this modern iteration particularly concerning is the perfect storm of contributing factors. We have social media influencers incentivized to spread sensationalism, news outlets desperate for attention in a saturated market, and a population whose critical thinking skills have been undermined by systematic defunding of education and an attack on intellectualism. The result is a society more susceptible than ever to manipulation and mass hysteria.

The sadness comes from recognizing how easily manipulated we remain as a society. Whether it's reports of Martian invasions in 1938 or mysterious drones in 2024, the basic human tendencies that make us vulnerable to mass hysteria haven't changed. What has changed is the sophistication of those who might exploit these tendencies like governments, corporations, and institutions that understand and utilize this recipe for manipulation.

As i watch planes continue their nightly approach to runway 34R, i'm reminded that the solution hasn't changed either. Critical thinking, careful validation of information, and the willingness to slow down and question our initial reactions. These skills aren't just academic exercises, they're essential defenses against manipulation in an age where the line between reality and hysteria grows increasingly blurry.

The story of War of the Worlds and the New Jersey drone scare isn't just about mass hysteria, it's about the importance of learning from history and the urgent need to equip ourselves with the tools to resist manipulation.

As someone who grew up appreciating the power of storytelling through radio, i understand how compelling narratives can shape our perceptions of reality. The challenge we face today is learning to separate authentic narratives from those designed to exploit our fears and anxieties.

The planes will keep landing on runway 34R, following their predictable paths through the night sky. The question is whether we'll see them for what they are or allow ourselves to be caught up in the next wave of mass hysteria.

Much Love 💛

-jason