The Wild TikTok Conspiracy About Helen Keller

It’s easy to dismiss the conspiracy theory on TikTok; after all, it’s just a bunch of bored teens clearly unconcerned over facts. But, as Kunka and several others have pointed out, the teenagers who took the jokes to heart became susceptible to the spread of misinformation, not to mention fell into the trap of ableism.

While most people think the only ones to fall for fake news on Facebook are boomers, the whole TikTok Helen Keller conspiracy theory falls into the same category. The Guardian explained much of the disbelief from the inability to understand that people with disabilities can achieve great things. Keller managed to write books, teach, attend college, and even advocate for racial justice, all while being deaf and blind.

We see people with disabilities achieve great things and live regular lives, but people, even woke teenagers, can still believe they’re unable to be great.

It also points to the ability of anyone to disregard facts. Some writers felt the need to defend this offensive behavior as Gen Z’s reaction to question the world around them. While admirable, it’s also cruel and disregards the achievements of people with disabilities.

And if there are kids out there who still believe Helen Keller isn’t real or that she lied because there is no way she was able to be more than her disability, wait until they hear about the Special Olympics.