In hard times, doubt and doubt-musters rise alongside fear and fascination
When the pressure tightens, a mix of opportunists and pretenders always appears. It’s something many never expected to witness on air, yet it has happened, and the observer has come through with impressions to share.
February brought irreversible shifts. The platforms tied to Meta faced bans in Russia, with Facebook and Instagram restricted as the state intensified control. This crackdown touched more than networks; it touched an entire ecosystem of creators, tutors, and self-styled experts who built careers on those feeds and streams, sometimes becoming affluent through the attention of followers.
Still, trends shift. What has been observed is startling in its own way.
Rather than steady, credible learning programs, a flood of online offerings emerged: quick courses, webinars, and seminars promising easy success; tarologists, fortune tellers, magicians, and psychics marketed to a public navigating uncertainty. One surprising moment involved a tarot reading on a widely followed political channel, where the practitioner interpreted signals about the international economy. The question lingered: would authorities comment, or would a central bank presidency appear in the same breath?
Audience engagement for these ventures continues to rise, which is easy to understand. In times of upheaval, people seek guidance from higher powers. A sense of mysticism seems rooted in cultural memory, a thread that remains visible whether the audience is in Russia or beyond its borders. The pull of Perun, the tarot, and other symbolic practices persists as a way to make sense of instability.
So how does one identify real economic distress within a country? The era following major upheavals has always carried a risk of decadence and a hunger for extrasensory insights. A scene in a well-known film also hints at this, where a fading aristocracy looks to scrap a tradition of ritual by sliding a plate across the table in a futile bid for control.
The flashy decades of the late 20th century left a similar impression. Many viewers gathered around screens, hoping to recharge hope or find a quick fix. For today’s younger observers, such scenes may seem almost laughable, yet the underlying impulse endures, tethered to how people respond to uncertainty.
The popularity of certain figures and phenomena—such as famous personalities and well-known mediums—precedes current popularity, acting as a reminder that cultural myths often outlast trends. Psychology helps explain the appeal: when people feel powerless, they seek outside reassurance. As a well-known voice once described, there are no atheists in times of danger, and doubt rarely dissolves in the face of hardship. Skepticism toward tarot and horoscopes does not erase the desire for guidance when ordinary channels fail.
In truth, individuals search for acceptable explanations and practical help that feel within reach. When those needs are unmet through conventional means, confusion can spread and become a wider sense of unease.
We are among the first generations to navigate the global Internet. In a century, the way information is structured may change dramatically, with clearer rules guiding how it is processed. For now, the online world often resembles a crowded fairground, where visibility is driven by loud voices rather than verified substance. In such a moment, it can seem as if a troupe of fortune tellers has gathered in the square, complete with instruments and performances that aim to entertain and persuade.
And so the question remains: will a broader movement toward collective understanding emerge, or will the urge for quick enlightenment persist? The perspective here highlights a personal view, and it may not align with every editor’s stance.