Albert Einstein has a famous quote: “God does not play dice.” But if he were alive today and looked at social media, he might shake his head in disappointment and say, “It seems that fortune tellers and social media are not only playing dice, but they are also gambling with it.” Nowadays, predictions, fortunes, and superstitions are dressed in modern clothes and spread quickly with the help of social media algorithms. From coffee readings that determine people’s life paths based on random stains in a cup, to “fortune books” that claim to break the lock of fate, everything has turned into a billion-dollar business in the virtual world. In this environment, modern fortune tellers not only rely on general and vague predictions, but also use tools such as artificial intelligence to design personalized fortunes. These methods are designed to give users a sense of scientific accuracy and logic.

But why do people still hold onto such beliefs? Why, in the 21st century where information is readily available, do they still search for their fate among tarot cards and online predictions? In the following, we will take a look at how techno-feudalism and the power of social networks play a role in promoting these pseudosciences and how scientific analyses are lost in the shadow of superstitions.

Why do fortune tellers still have customers?

Just a few days ago, the “Magician” exclusive to the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran with the title of “The Best of the World” was arrested. Some of these fortune tellers and magicians even hold courses in fortune telling and have apprentices all over Iran. In our traditional culture, the opening of the “Koftar’s Honor” and the use of other magic spells have also become a business thanks to the internet. Just send a message to a number on WhatsApp, deposit an amount, and then listen to why your luck is closed, in which season you will migrate, and how you can open it!

Social networks, which were supposed to make knowledge accessible to everyone, have turned into a platform for the spread of pseudo-science. Young people who grow up on Instagram, YouTube, Telegram, and TikTok are exposed to a flood of baseless information. From fortune tellers and astrologers to unscientific medical advice, the algorithms of social networks are designed to make more attractive (not necessarily accurate) information more visible. In the midst of all this, traditional media, which should play an informative role, are unable to combat this wave due to their declining power and influence.

In Iran, this problem has doubled with severe censorship of the media. Newspapers and news websites are heavily monitored and are not able to address many serious political, social, economic, and cultural issues. On the other hand, they are forced to focus on the same attractive and popular topics to maintain their audience, which are prevalent on social networks. These conditions have led to the spread of superstitions, fortune-telling, and false information without any resistance in society.

Techno-feudalism: Playing on the battlefield of technology giants.

One of the main reasons for the increase in pseudo-science and false information is the growth of technofeudalism. In this system, technology giants such as Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Alphabet (YouTube), TikTok, and Twitter (X-Current) have taken control of all information flows. They manipulate the content by mastering user data in a way that creates the most interaction, even if that interaction is based on false information. Since one of the goals of technofeudalism is to create “uncertainty,” people live in a space of informational confusion. In these conditions, traditional media have lost their power and textual content has practically been pushed aside.

In a world where media has become less effective compared to social networks, superficial, attractive and entertaining content – like what influencers with tens of thousands to millions of followers produce in non-expert fields – has grown, but scientific analysis and serious reports receive less attention. The visual content of media, which was once a source of information, is now under the influence of pseudo-scientific trends. Fortune tellers, with millions of followers, talk about money chakras, negative energies and stars in their videos, but scientific analysis is overshadowed. In this situation, we must ask: Will the future of content be in the hands of science or superstition?

As Einstein said, God does not play dice, but the giants of technology, fortune tellers, and social networks do it every day! The world of information is changing and with the emergence of technofeudalism, uncertainty has become a part of our lives. In these circumstances, the responsibility of educating the new generations becomes more important. We must honestly look at this situation; the rise of virtual superstitions is growing exponentially. Until the media regain their power and stand against the wave of pseudoscience, we must go to war against superstitions with more awareness; before we leave the fate of the future to the coffee grounds left at the bottom of our cups.