How does the Orson Welles broadcast of War of the Worlds in 1938 relate to the social concerns of the time, like WWII and the Depression?

In 1938, the Great Depression and the looming danger from
Europe (combined with memories of World War I) created a social situation in which Orson
Welles' broadcast could seem more believable and
frightening.

At this point in history, people felt very
vulnerable.  They had been scarred by almost a decade of economic downturn.  They would
have felt that the evidence of World War I showed that technology could be used not just
for good, but also to create horror and devastation.  They would have been on edge as
Hitler pushed Europe to the brink (at that point) of another war in which technology
would be used in negative ways.  In this context, it makes sense that Welles' broadcast
would have had a more powerful impact than it might have at another time in our
history.

Welles' broadcast would have played into the fears
that people were feeling.  It would have confirmed in them the idea that they were
vulnerable to forces (economics, Hitler, and now Martians) that were completely beyond
their control.  It would have seemed plausible because it would have been clear to them
that technology could be used to devastate in the way the fictional Martians were using
it.

In these ways, the fears and experiences of people in
1938 would have helped to make Welles' broadcast seem more credible and to make it have
more of an impact on people than it might have in better times.