by Yolanda Ridge
Sci Why Post: March 5, 2021
The Science behind Conspiracy Theories
It’s been almost one year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. We know a lot more about the coronavirus than we did then but there’s still lots of conspiracy theories about it and many people who believe them.
What is a conspiracy theory?
It’s an attempt to explain tragic events by the actions of a small, powerful group of people who are usually seen as evil. Conspiracy theories often suggest that some important secret is being kept from the general public.
Top coronavirus conspiracy theories:
It spread through the 5G network.
It was created by Bill Gates so he could implant microchips in people through vaccination.
It escaped from a Chinese lab.
It was developed as a biological weapon.
There’s some type of miracle cure for COVID-19.
It doesn’t exist.
Where do conspiracy theories come from?
There’s usually a small grain of truth that starts a conspiracy theory. It spreads from there, mostly through fear.
For example, people blamed 5G because there was a rapid rollout of 5G networks taking place at the same time the pandemic hit (truth). A meme linking the two went viral thanks mostly to anti-vaccine activists who also believe that electromagnetic radiation is bad (fear).
The World Health Organization has been very clear that viruses cannot travel on mobile networks. It’s also true that COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in many countries that do not have 5G. Even so, this conspiracy theory led to cellphone towers being set on fire in some part of the world.
Why do people believe conspiracy theories?
People who believe in conspiracy theories instead of explanations grounded in fact and science are not necessarily crazy. Or dumb.
Here are a few reasons people are especially likely to believe COVID-19 conspiracy theories:
When we feel insecure and isolated, our brains are more likely to buy into what we consider popular opinion (especially if those opinions are supported by celebrities or other influencers).
Our brains often confuse familiarity with the truth, which means we tend to believe things we see over and over again thanks to social media algorithms.
Simple explanations for random events help us feel more in control.
When we’re anxious we use cognitive shortcuts—unconscious beliefs or biases—to make fast decisions about what to believe.
Once we’ve decided to believe in something, we seek out information that supports that belief.
Conspiracy theories allow us to cope with threatening events by blaming a specific group of “other people”.
Are conspiracy theories bad?
Yes! It’s estimated that 46% of Canadians believe one of the big conspiracy theories regarding COVID-19 and 28% of Americans believe the coronavirus was created by Bill Gates. Burning cellphone towers is bad, obviously, but conspiracy theories are especially dangerous when they stop people from taking reasonable actions like getting vaccinated.
According to two surveys done at the end of 2020, 35-40% of Americans say they will not get the COVID-19 vaccine. Since fighting the pandemic requires the vast majority of people to get vaccinated, this is not good at all.
People who believe in conspiracy theories are also less likely to follow health guidelines such as wearing masks and social distancing.
How can you avoid conspiracy theories?
It’s not easy to convince someone who believes in a conspiracy theory that they’re wrong. Here are a few ways to make sure you don’t become one of them:
Get information from reliable sources like reputable news organizations instead of social media.
Be aware of your own cognitive shortcuts and biases such as racist attitudes or political opinions.
Use critical thinking to interpret data and information.
Look for facts and science-based evidence that support beliefs or claims.
Think before you share information.
Yolanda Ridge is a middle grade author and science writer from Rossland, BC. Her most recent nonfiction book for young adult readers, CRISPR: A Powerful Way to Change DNA (Annick, 2020) is available wherever you buy books. Visit www.yolandaridge.com to find out more.
Image Credits
Conspiracy Theories by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images
Shhhh… clipart image from pixy.org
5G image from Pixabay
Cartoon Monkey is Scratching His Head vector clipart from pixy.org
Face Mask image by ArtJane at Pixabay
A_NEW_TRUTH.jpeg by Mossado at Wikimedia Commons
Source Information
https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/2020/04/covid-top-10-current-conspiracy-theories/
https://www.statista.com/chart/23105/share-of-coronavirus-misinformaton-identified-as-conspiracy-theories/
https://www.damemagazine.com/2020/04/06/the-brain-science-behind-conspiracy-theories/
Timothy Caulfield’s University of Alberta Alumni presentation “Relax Dammit: Don’t Let Health Misinformation Stress You Out!”
https://news.gallup.com/poll/327425/willingness-covid-vaccine-ticks.aspx
1 comment:
An Angus Reid poll released today shows that over half of Canadian respondents want to get the vaccine as soon as possible. Only 1 in 10 say they will not be getting the vaccine at all. More interesting statistics here: https://angusreid.org/covid-vaccine-march/
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