Spread Facts, Not Fear
- Lasya Pullakhandam
- Apr 16, 2020
- 2 min read
We all know that some crazy things have been said about COVID-19, but the crazier thing is that people believe them. With all this misinformation, Facebook has recently announced that it will start sending alerts to users who have interacted with false news. WhatsApp, which was purchased by Facebook in 2014, has also been working hard to mitigate the effects of unfounded and inaccurate rumors being spread to large user base.
One of the most absurd conspiracies theories that has come about is that 5G mobile networks are spreading coronavirus. Many people have come to this conclusion since the network rollout and the pandemic began around the same time, but has been proven wrong through several means. First, the virus cannot travel on radio waves or mobile networks. Second, it is known that it spreads through respiratory droplets of an infected person or by touching a contaminated surface and then your face right after. A Verizon spokesperson has asserted that radiofrequency energy has not been shown to cause health problems and the World Health Organization has put out a statement supporting this.
The theories have led to 5G towers in the UK being set on fire and harassment of workers laying fiber optic cables. Existing phishing scams have taken advantage of COVID-19 posing as employers or government organizations to exploit this fear. Although companies and public health organizations are doing the most they can prevent the spread of fear associated with the pandemic, it hasn't stopped people from believing what they want to believe. This serves as a reminder to realize the importance of our words and find healthy ways of coping with our stress and anxiety instead of fueling fear and hate.
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