When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, a bizarre conspiracy theory swept through global social media: that the disease was caused by radio-frequency emissions from 5G cell phone towers. The wild theories spread across social media platforms. The belief in this conspiracy was so fervent that the media reported more than 100 incidents of arson and vandalism against 5G (and 4G) infrastructure, as well as numerous instances of abusive or threatening behavior against telecommunications workers.
Why do bizarre events like this happen? In our recent review article, published May 19 in the journal Frontiers in Communication, we showed that conspiracy theories and other widespread incorrect beliefs emerge from complex interactions involving people's cognitive limitations, social influence in groups, and the global-scale spread of ideas across social networks.
