Economic inequality is the unequal distribution of income and opportunity between different groups in society. It is a concern in almost all countries around the world and often people are trapped in poverty with little chance to climb up the social ladder.
Can economic inequality during moments of crisis, lead people to adopt or seriously take into account, conspiracy theories?
Psychological defense mechanisms are there to boost our egos as a survival mechanism. An exorcism to panic and fear.
During CONVID-19 crisis almost 20% of the population had to go to work every day and didn't stay at home. Most of them low budget workers, while getting a pay check that cannot support a family. Another part of society stayed indoors unemployed.
At the same time having to deal with fear of an invisible enemy.
Feeling marginal and threatened can trigger survival mechanisms.
Denial is a defense mechanism which involves a refusal to accept reality, thus blocking external events from awareness.
Rationalization is a defense mechanism involving a cognitive distortion of "the facts" to make an event less threatening.
Let us add-in our natural tendency. Be socially compatible with other members of a group.
From this perspective a crisis can lead a part of society to adopt conspiracy theories to feel compatible with other members of a group and rationalize danger.
It doesn't really matter how you call it or which mechanism comes first but psychological defense mechanisms is our fuel in a crisis.
Society many times develops a face of criticism: "you are not good enough to get paid more, you are not good enough to have a better life, you are not good enough to have a social status,connections,fame. You are not going to decide. Just stay and watch. We are better than you."
With all these messages, when citizens are unemployed or with a very low income, and at the same time threatened, populism thrives and conspiracy theories are spreading across easily.
If you stay at home jobless and have no money, you need to develop a strong immunity to society in order to survive and there you go, adopting a conspiracy theory can be the ticket to a group of people that you fit in.
Defense mechanism as a way to balance lack of support and critisism. Conspiracy theories make us feel less marginal when society puts us on the bench.
This great gap of income among citizens, can be compared with an earthquake. During normality, we feel low vibrations and in a crisis we suddenly separate from each other.
I do believe there are conspiracies but there are also conspiracy theories that are made for publicity.
When massively adopted by low income or no income citizens it is a solidarity alarm.
This is just my opinion without being an expert on the field of psychology, but based on my daily avocation and courses taken. But am an expert on Telecom.
As an expert on Telecom the rumor that is spreading regarding the 5G relation to the CONVID-19 crisis is just for laughs.
Firstly cause in most countries 5G is not operational yet.
Secondly because 5G still operates in the band of your Wi-Fi and 4G.
Thirdly because most of the population is not using devices that can support 5G.
And these are the simple answers without digging to technicality.
A nice tool on internet is nperf, below a link that shows the coverage in 5G in Italy (purple) and 4G (red). Just Scroll and check worldwide the coverage of 5G, is too low comparing to 4G.
It is planned for 2021 or later 2025, 5G to go to higher frequencies.
And Yes! Higher frequencies will increase penetration depth in our body and head.
I won't debate anyone that feels comfortable with 5G conspiracy theories.
Instead, I am going to do something useful and inform of the precaution rules.
As in 4G there are safety rules we must also follow on 5G:
Use hands free. This is the most important rule for our head.
Avoid placing our mobile phones on our bodies.
Avoid placing our mobile phone on our head, chest, genitals.
Wishing luck and health to all
Nicolas Koltsidas
License (grade A) in Electronics and Radioelectrology
M.Sc. B.Sc.