Signs of a Plagued Generation...?

I feel that this generation is very gullible to conspiracy talk.

Anything that sounds remotely possible they assume to be true.

There was a discussion in class today about how the government is withholding a cure for HIV/AIDS in order to control and regulate the population...

Though I explained to these students that curing HIV and AIDS is a complicated problem that requires information beyond their current comprehension, they still didn't waiver in their determination to uncover this government conspiracy.

I can't help but wonder how we are supposed to deal with this sort of gullible behavior.  We cannot just ignore it forever.  Rationality, sadly, doesn't work towards diffusing this problem.  It doesn't matter how much sense the counter argument is, the enticing nature of a conspiracy seems to entertain their minds more so than the truth...

Fahrenheit 451 comes to mind...  Let's burn books and indulge any impulsive need for mental thrills...