The Plots Thicken

Conspiracy theories abound at the moment. What’s behind them?

- Richard Van Rensburg & Lesego Seokwang

COVID-19 is a bioweapon developed in a Chinese government laboratory. Scientists, politicians and billionaires are conspiring to profit from the spread of the pandemic.

The coronavirus is a global drive to force people to get vaccinated.

And new 5G cellphone towers are making people vulnerable to infection.

To some, these stories might sound crazy and absurd. But many people believe conspiracy theories – and the pandemic is only serving to swell their numbers.

More than a third of Americans believe the coronavirus is a biological weapon developed by the Chinese, according to a poll by the University of Pennsylvania.

And a recent study of 2 200 people by the University of Cambridge found that nearly a quarter of British people believe the Covid-19/Chinese lab theory, while 8% believe 5G towers helped spread the virus.

WHY SOME PEOPLE FALL FOR THEM

Conspiracy theories can offer a feeling of control in a chaotic world, some experts believe – and the world has seldom seemed more chaotic than it does right now.

“People feel a sense of belonging when they have something they believe in,” says Durban-based clinical psychologist Nozibusiso Nyawose. “Their beliefs also give them a sense of power because no one can ever take away what you believe in.”

Researchers in Atlanta in the US recently published a far-reaching study into which personality types are more susceptible to conspiracy theories.

One of the types is the so-called “injustice collector”.