PSA: That week in 2019 when I lost 3 clients in 5 days changed my view on conspiracy theories

I run a small IT business out of Phoenix, and back in July 2019, I had three clients cancel contracts in one week because they found a YouTube video claiming 5G towers were causing health issues. One of them, a dentist named Mark in Scottsdale, actually paid $2,000 to have a tower removed from near his office. That experience made me realize how powerful these beliefs can be, even when there's no solid evidence. Has anyone else lost business or relationships due to a conspiracy theory that took hold?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa_murray24d ago

Totally get where you're coming from. Lost a good friend over the anti-vax stuff a few years back. She was convinced the flu shot was a government tracking chip disguised as a vaccine. We tried to talk about it but she just got more and more upset until she stopped answering my calls. It's wild how fast something you see online can just take over someone's whole life. Still stings thinking about it.

palmer.henry24d ago

Read something the other day about how conspiracy theories spread like actual diseases. There's a pattern. Someone finds a community online that makes them feel special. Then they trust that group more than their old friends. It's almost like a cult recruitment thing. Hard to fight something that gives people a sense of purpose.