They’re seeing links between beliefs in COVID-19 falsehoods and the reliance on social media as a source of news and information.Īnd they’re concluding COVID-19 conspiracy theories persist by providing a false sense of empowerment. I guess I chose to believe the facts.”Īs the world struggles to break the grip of COVID-19, psychologists and misinformation experts are studying why the pandemic spawned so many conspiracy theories, which have led people to eschew masks, social distancing and vaccines. “I don’t know why I didn’t believe all of it myself. That’s not a hoax,” Roberts said, speaking of the conspiracy theories embraced by family and friends. “Five hundred thousand people have died in this country. So when the 29-year-old Tennessee man got his COVID-19 shot at his local Walmart last month, it felt like an achievement. The vaccine, they said, was the real threat. His parents taught him inoculations were dangerous, and when the coronavirus arrived, they called it a hoax. (AP) - Daniel Roberts hadn’t had a vaccination since he was 6.
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