The unfortunate trend of people blaming the coronavirus pandemic on the emergence of 5G technology has evolved into people physically attacking cell towers. While the accusations are clearly baseless for a multitude of reasons, people are seemingly (once again) putting too much stock into things they've seen on social media, leading to real-world problems.
5G conspiracy theories have been around for a long time but the world-changing COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the focus from claims of 5G causing cancer to claims that it's the origin of the virus. Some theories circulating online suggest 5G towers may also be designed to weaken people's immune systems, thus making them more likely to die from the virus. These ideas have made their way to social media platforms, forcing YouTube to take action against those videos, but not before notable celebrities could perpetuate the misinformation.
The tipping point came as a result of a series of attacks against cell towers in the UK over the past couple of days. NPR reports that at least three telecommunications towers fell victim to arson, and while there are no suspects and therefore no direct links to the recent increase in 5G conspiracy theories, there are many coincidences. Most notably, prior to the burning of a tower in Liverpool, the city's mayor received threats over continuing with the 5G rollout. Speaking to The Guardian mayor himself pointed out the irony of people who "learned" about these 5G theories on social media launching attacks on the very infrastructure that allows them access to social networks in the first place.
Why Cell Towers Are Critical Right Now
While there are no reports of any people being injured in these fires, that was never the real danger. The trouble is that any hindrance to communication infrastructure applies further stress to our social distancing attempts. With such large portions of the world operating exclusively via the internet right now, a major communications breakdown would stall the world even further. The impacts of 5G, however minimal, are irrelevant right now when a dead phone line or internet connection could easily contribute to people being unable to get life-saving medical care today.
The other problem here is the impact using 5G as a scapegoat has on people acknowledging the guidance of the world's health professionals. If people believe 5G is the real cause of the coronavirus, their "logic" would dictate that our attempts to slow the spread and treat it, like social distancing and masks, are futile. We run the risk of someone's recklessness endangering people simply because they saw the wrong YouTube video. So while social media platforms penalizing these posts may look suspicious to the intellectually challenged among us, it's an act of moderation with a very real potential to save lives.
Source: NPR, The Guardian