Pandemic transforms conspiracy theories into superspreader events

Most everyone now is getting used to using the phrase “new normal.” This concept describes how the pandemic has changed our basic ways of interacting, allowing us to move forward as a society. Washing hands more, six feet social distancing, wearing masks, massive testing and the distribution of vaccines have all been noted as necessary social changes.

However, the most significant social change that has become part of our “new normal” is the increase spread of false conspiracy theories. The preconditions were ripe. We already had “legitimate” news sources and political leaders claiming that anything they did not agree with was “fake news.” The next logical step was to replace gaps in the public’s knowledge base with unfounded conspiracy theories.

But why have these false narratives spread so quickly during the pandemic?

During this more than year-long unfolding of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, almost everyone has felt more and more powerless. The whole society is now living in a crime ridden area with few protections. They feel like they can be a victim of a drive by shooting at any time. The pandemic has become the criminal that can randomly snuff out any life, anytime, anywhere, any place.

Social scientists use the concept of “illusory pattern perception” to refer to the belief that conspiracy exists where there is none. It is a fancy way to say that people see connections of random events that do not exist. Various studies have shown that people who lack control or feel overwhelmed are much more likely to believe in false conspiracy theories.

There is little doubt the pandemic has left billions in our world feeling overwhelmed and without control over their own lives.

The spreading conspiracy theories for many gives them a false sense of empowerment by making sense of a senseless world. They give us simple “common sense” answers to very complex issues. They make us feel like we can regain control of our lives with simple actions or inactions.

One of the earliest conspiracy theories to spread like wildfire was that the pandemic was a politically motivated exaggeration created by opponents of the old regime. It was argued that the coronavirus was no more deadly than the flu, that masks would not help stop the spread, and that it would disappear as soon as the election was over. It was easy to believe these false conspiracy claims because it helped many regain a false sense of control over their lives.

A newer series of conspiracy theories surround the life-saving vaccines that have been developed. It is said that the new vaccines cause infertility, contain a microchip, will alter your DNA or may even cause the spread of the coronavirus. Just like the earlier pandemic conspiracy theories, these vaccine falsehoods have little to no scientific data that supports them. Just like the earlier conspiracy theories, they are also spreading at warp speed.

Vaccine conspiracy theories are by no means new. Way back in the late 1790s when British surgeon Edward Jenner first started using a vaccine to prevent smallpox, there was a conspiracy theory created that said patients would develop cow horns if they were inoculated since cowpox was used in the injection. After nearly 200 years of smallpox vaccinations, not only has no one grown cow horns but smallpox has all but been eradicated. Vaccines work.

The problem with science, including the field of medicine, is that it cannot provide ultimate clear, quick and indisputable answers. It’s just a reliable method of slowly collecting and analyzing data in a systematic manner. It has gaps and sputters with false leads all the time. The conspiracy folks love this because they can take the splinter or minority report and run wild with it.

We don’t want large crowds to gather in person because they will lead to superspreader events. But large groups of conspiracy theorists are gathering online to create their own ideological superspreader events. So much misinformation is spread on social media platforms and “official looking” websites that conspiracy theory spreads faster than scientific results.

No matter how inaccurate, these theories will continue to spread until all of us challenge the “facts” that are believed by our own friends and family. The “new normal” must include each of us dealing with conspiracy theories as we encounter them. We should stop defriending or blocking “crazy conspiracy nuts” in our own social online circles, but instead engage them and become their own personal fact checkers.

The new battlefield to defeat this pandemic is well beyond the medical front line. It is now in our own personal lives. Each of us must become a firewall against the further spread of false and damaging conspiracy theories.

Dave Berger of Plymouth is a retired sociology professor who taught for nearly three decades at Inver Hills Community College. 

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