Why Collapse Narratives Go Viral: How Reset Myths Spread, Endure, and Shape Public Memory

Every generation produces its own version of the end. From millenarian movements in medieval Europe to twentieth-century fears of nuclear annihilation, the idea that civilization stands on the edge of collapse has proven remarkably durable—and remarkably contagious. The Collapse Narrative examines why stories of systemic breakdown spread faster than facts, and how they become organizing myths for communities seeking meaning in uncertain times.

Drawing on historical case studies across cultur...