Why Do People Believe That 5G Makes You Sick?

Published on June 2, 2020

Having issues with breathing, unexplained vibrations, and random itches are all things that we experience at some point in our lives, even though there is no obvious physical cause. Just because you don’t know why something is happening, though, doesn’t mean it didn’t occur.

The mindset of a symptom that cannot be easily explained is at the core of a train of thought known as “Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance,” also referred to as MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) or environmental illness. It references a group of reoccurring symptoms that are experienced by a small portion of the population which cannot be linked to a diagnosed medical problem. A professor of Health Psychology at the University of Leuven in Belgium, Omer van den Bergh, said, “There seems to be a base rate in the population of symptom reporting that cannot be attributed to physical dysfunction.”

Image Credit: [flickr]

He mentioned, “There is a group of people that tends to attribute these symptoms then to environmental causes, and these are typically people who have what we call modern health worries.” Instead of the more-scientifically recognized sensitivities to things like household cleaners and perfumes, the subset of the population with “modern health worries” are increasingly blaming their symptoms on electromagnetic radiation in the environment. This is where a lot of the 5G conspiracy theorists start and desperately attempt to find credibility to support their baseless claims.

Prof. Van den Bergh said, “Our whole society… seems to assume that if there is a physical symptom in our experience, there must be a physiological cause.” In the search for such a cause, these people latch on to any possible answer in the hopes of finding relief or placing blame. “If you have, for example, activist groups or other groups that are also sharing a belief that it might be caused by, let’s say, electro-magnetic radiation, then you become selectively sensitive to that,” he added. “You start to perceive correlations between your symptoms and the sources of electromagnetic radiation.” It’s important to understand that the amount of energy that any electromagnetic radiation carris is on a spectrum. Microwaves, visible light, and X-rays are all on that same spectrum. Yes, X-rays and gamma rays are dangerous, but keep in mind that the amount of energy that 5G carries is far less than that of visible light, and they are on the other side of the spectrum of X-rays, gamma rays, and UV. So, if 5G is dangerous, then streetlights, light bulbs, and the common LED are more dangerous.

The ‘effects’ of 5G radiation have been described as ‘damaging’ by some sketchy ‘news’ outlets, despite an overwhelming amount of evidence that says the exact opposite. Some of these folks even go as far as claiming that the much-needed networking technology caused the coronavirus pandemic, which is absolutely untrue. But of course, that has not stopped angry protesters from burning down valuable cell towers and spraying anti-5G rhetoric all over the world. The resulting media coverage of these acts took the global stage right when COVID-19 concerns began to envelop the world, and so the idea that 5G causes disease went viral. Pun Intended.

So, let us all do the reasonable thing and these claims for what they actually are, non-sense. Not only is there absolutely zero evidence to show that the level of radiation is more harmful than before, but the new technology that’s part of 5G, millimeter waves, has long been been in use for years and years before the standard was even passed. Satellite communications systems, for example, operate on same exact part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

How Dangerous is 5G?

It’s not dangerous at all. 0 percent dangerous. Some 5G conspiracy theorists think the new network generates radio-frequency radiation that can cause damage to DNA and lead to cancer. They also think it can cause oxidative damage that can cause premature aging. They are completely wrong. 5G poses absolutely zero health risks.

Does 5G Affect Immune System?

Not at all. There is no evidence that radio wave exposure from 5G and other wireless telecommunications affects the immune system or cause any long term or short term health effects.

Featured Image Credit: [flickr]

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