The 5G mobile network has been subject to many controversies since its emergence as an up-gradation of existing 4th Generation wireless network infrastructure. Prominent social media groups and pages have extended several arguments that tied the 5G mobile network with life-threatening Coronavirus. The news about the up-gradation of a cell tower to 5G technology in the past has already raised many health concerns due to its high Electromagnetic Frequency.
Interestingly, the social media conspiracy theorist is linking 5G mobile technology with the recent outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus in Wuhan province of China. These theories are based on different ideas and most of them are not supported by scientific evidence. The major point of this argument is that Wuhan province was the first city to get 5G technology under the pilot program and coincidently the epicenter of the emergence of the Coronavirus is the same city in China. The people who support this idea also an emphasis on the impact of 5G on the immune system. The 5G reportedly negatively affects the human immune system, hence making them more vulnerable to getting this deadly infection. Another important source of spreading these conspiracies is a world-leading video streaming platform, YouTube. In a video uploaded to a Conspiracy theorist page, aggressively connects the rollout of 5G mobile internet in Wuhan with Coronavirus. The person named Dana Ashie further sheds light on the dangers imposed by the 5G in a convincing manner in a one-hour video.
Facebook is flooded with such posts which offer a plausible argument about the cause of the Coronavirus. These posts are nicely written to convince any normal person to believe that 5G technology is behind this horrible infection that has claimed around 2,500 lives so far and left 80K infected. There are several other posts surfaced on social media from anti-5g activities attempting to link this outbreak with the detrimental consequences of the use of a 5G mobile network.
Scientific researches accept adverse impact of 5G on human health
The claims made by people on social media bluntly deny the scientific findings and facts pertaining to the 5G mobile network. These theorist does not extend any argument backed by any experimental evidences or facts. The erroneous claims share not a correlation with the researches carried by the scientific community on the impact of radio waves transmitted by 5G cell towers. Although some studies have found a harmful impact of exposure to high-frequency electromagnetic waves. A study from the National Toxicology Program suggests a link between the radiation of cell phones and cancer. The rats used in this research as a subject was exposed to 9 hours of radiation every day and later found increased chances of growing cancerous cells. This research has sparked a debate about the potentially detrimental effect of radiation, and a need for future research to determine the underlying reason.
There is no correctional has been found yet between 5G technology and outbreak of Coronavirus. This virus was first detected in 2019. It belongs to a family of viruses that can cause server actual respiratory syndrome, common cold, and a combination of severe illness that may result in death. The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are closely monitoring the cause and current situation. However, they have not reached an agreement about the exact cause of this virus. These global organizations have issued warnings and recommendations to prevent this contagious virus to spread.
The social media is constantly being used to spread rumors as well as false theories. Facebook is working to prevent the spread of such erroneous theory on its platform, however, there are no substantial steps are taken by YouTube to stop the proliferation of these unscientific theories. It is advisable to do a fact check before approving these theorists to impose their unscientific arguments.
Gracia is a senior writer at Get Ignite, where she covers media and advertising and co-hosts the Original Content podcast. Previously, she worked as a tech writer at Adweek, a senior editor at the tech blog VentureBeat, and a local government reporter at the Hollister Free Lance. She attended Stanford University and now lives in Brooklyn.
