Event 201  Why Weren’t We Paying Attention covid 19
Channel: z m world
Date: 2020-05-19

Coronavirus: How do I recognize a conspiracy theory?
Conspiracy theories are coming in hard and fast during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of them even sound plausible. So it's important to know: what makes a conspiracy theory? And why are they so popular?
We are in the midst of a crisis. Not only a health and economic crisis, but also a psychological one. Coronavirus, the resulting COVID-19 respiratory illness, and the measures taken to contain the pandemic have turned the lives of millions of people upside down. Although the consequences of all of this have very different impacts on each one of us, there is one thing that unites us all: uncertainty.

People don't like uncertainty. They want to know what happens next and why, and if everything should be done differently.

This is why conspiracy theories come to life in crises — because they offer simple explanations for chaos and seemingly bottomless uncertainty. At a time when normality feels further and further from our everyday, it is particularly tempting for many people to embrace a narrative that centers on a villain.