Why are people so ready to accept conspiracy theories?

There are some people who will believe anything either because they are insecure and looking for an answer to their insecurity or because they are fearful. People believe all sorts of myths including the one that the world will end next year especially if it is in the newspapers or on film. A clic Disney film stated that lemmings commit suicide every so often by trying to swim the ocean and despite it being totally untrue millions of people believed it so the media has a lot to answer for as well. This sort of m belief is not really explainable unless of course you are a psychiatrist and even then you may be stumped.