Why do so many people seem to (mistakenly) think there’s a connection between the 5G rollout and the coronavirus, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary?

In this case the evidence points to this originating from a Russian disinformation campaign much like we saw leading up to the 2016 election in the USA. The 5G one in particular has been very effective in duping many people and persuading them to spread the disinformation. Such campaigns breed distrust among citizens, which plays into Russia’s political advantage. Same goes for the anti-trust campaign related to “the media.”

So the 5G hoax is really just a disinformation campaign that many people are succumbing to. It’s what happens when geopolitical maneuvering infects social media. To the extent there’s an actual conspiracy, it’s a lot more basic and common than the 5G one, and this sort of behavior is certainly not limited to Russia. Humans have been using disinformation campaigns for thousands of years. It’s a prestigious line of work with a long and glorious tradition.

Ironically the people spreading this 5G-coronavirus idea are behaving like viruses themselves by infecting others with similar falsehoods. While you may think that such people are being too suspicious, the reality is that they’re actually being too naïve and trusting. If they were more skeptical, they’d evaluate the evidence rationally (instead of emotionally) and quickly realize that it’s untrue since it doesn’t mesh with readily available facts.

When I see people spreading disinformation campaigns like the 5G one, I will generally quarantine them from my social sphere by adding them to my block list. I prefer to prevent further risk of contamination within my slice of social media. I won’t interfere with their personal deep dive into disinformation campaigns if they choose to experience that, but it would be inconceivable to join them in the pit of despair.

Yes, human beings can do evil acts sometimes, and they’re often negligent and expedient, which can cause a host of problems. But humans also tend to be too simplistic to rise to the level of fanciful hoaxes that require them to perform like an organized team of Lex Luthors.