lifestyle
Stuck in the Covid-19 rabbit hole
OPINION What does the new generation of cellular network technology and a virus that causes respiratory tract infections have in common? If you believe the new roll out of 5G causes Covid-19 is the harbinger of death to thousands of people around the world in the past 4-5 months then you like many might agree with the statement “5G is directly responsible for Coronavirus deaths.”
by Cameron Schuster I 15 May 2020
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I for one do not believe in such theories but it fascinates me that those who do accept this Information dispatched through makeshift YouTube documentaries, social media video posts (of individuals who do not appear appropriate to the given context) and click bait fake news flooding media today. Those that are lost down the conspiracy rabbit hole have the proclivity to be activists, anti-establishment, have far-left ideologies, have a low level of education so are not skilled to research accordingly or are just simply bored during the Alert Level 4 Lockdown in New Zealand and have entertained themselves with such conspiracy theories. Whatever the reason, you are wasting your own precious valuable time, you just don't know it. So let's grab a torch and take a look inside one rabbit hole in particular.
Plandemic is all eats
A friend from high school recently sent me the documentary video “Plandemic” whose half hour premise is a lab made Covid-19 funded by millionaires to eventually force the sale of vaccinations globally. This video has been laden by controversy so much that social media platforms have been struggling to delete the video shared by millions of followers. Although the production value is of adequate quality, the film falls short on evidence and references and also serves our human cognitive trait to naturally neglect clues that contradict our favourite opinions by reinforcing confirmation bias. If you ask yourself does this documentary have an agenda and are there rebuttal points within its content then you are applying your curiosity the correct way as it is evident there is no second opinion by the film maker to the comments made by Dr Judy Mikovitz who is featured in the film and who also is a known anti vaxxer and discredited scientist. Look it up, use google, do some research behind what you're watching I'm sure you would agree, but if you’re not convinced maybe empathy has something to do with it.
Compassionate fools
Compassion and pity to the less fortunate can be an inclination for conspiracy theories to flourish. The view that almost 300,000 Covid-19 deaths worldwide is orchestrated by the wealthy pulling the strings, corporations or the “Illuminati” along with the mismanagement of right-wing world leaders like Trump, Johnson and Bolsonaro causes outrage by the empathetic already lost in rabbit holes is a justification to their anti-establishment beliefs. Conspiracy theorists will give you the illusion of empathy. We are all connected in the world by modern technology so the narrative is we are one human race on one planet, let us all hold up our candles together in solidarity and sing Kumbaya. The fact is we are really connected to each other by relationships, we cooperate with one another and we fall in love so the illusion is a form of self deception. To my friend that sent me the Plandemic video you might have thought this is your “I knew it” moment? But, at the end of the day what can you actually do to make a difference in the world besides wasting your own time pondering on something you have no control over? You are not giving attention to the victims, you are giving attention to the platform. The best you could do is find a way to give money to the families that have lost someone to the pandemic, anything more than that is futile. Just don't do anything stupid like going out and setting fire to a few 5G towers.
The 5G Towers causing Covid-19 conspiracy takes a sinister turn deep inside this rabbit hole. Reports of arson attacks to newly installed 5G towers around the world (almost 80 towers in the UK and even a couple here in New Zealand) tells me the extent believers in conspiracy theories would go to if they only accept without questioning the information brought to them. We as a human race are in crisis as far as global infections of this virus and the devastating potential it has if we don't act appropriately is concerning and so the efficiency of modern communications is an essential component to our preparedness. If you were one of the arsonists and had grandparents who needed medical attention, but tragically died because the fact that their cell phone call for help didn’t transmit through a tower that was out of commission, how guilty would you feel? The science and tech behind how the 5G transmission works is outside my knowledge so it should be. Warren Buffet has talked about your “circle of competence”. Part of the secret to success is to be the master of the profession you have chosen for yourself and that requires a constant endeavor to study and learn inside your circle of competence, develop yourself professionally and not waste your time deviating outside but to know the boundaries. Have your mamba mentality, I’m pretty sure Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant replaced everything in their lives other than Basketball, Food and Family with workouts at the gym, practicing jump shots and watching game video. (I left sleeping out because these guys were animals, shooting till 1am and workouts at 4am?) Their hard work is a testament to their success no matter what the personal cost was but its a path proven if you wish to achieve the same heights.
I refuse to go down any conspiracy theory rabbit hole because (to sound Cliche) there are better things to worry about in life. Look after yourself, your well being, your health, there's lots of information out there about nutrition and exercise, take some time each day to lift a couple of weights or run around the block. Make sure you’re in a good mental state and have some meaning in your life by working towards the job the you want, if you’re not in the job you want then have a side hustle, work on that dream after work hours because you still have to pay the bills. Work on your dreams after hours, chip away at it until the dream becomes reality, I’m sure then you will find no time to investigate conspiracies. Then, when you have yourself sorted out, look after your family. Then after your family look after your friends. Only then when everything is sorted you might have more to give, if so then it's time to look out for your community. Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson talks about pursuing what is meaningful in his videos which makes sense to me. Taking care of yourself, family, friends and community in that order I think this is the real activism for a successful society if everyone in the world were to prioritize their lives around maybe the world would be a better place. My friend who sent me the Plandemic video, if you were to prioritize your life accordingly I wonder how much time you would have left to even consider jumping down a rabbit hole again.