Ridiculous Tech Myths That Just Won’t Die
Tech myths people still believe: that more megapixels in a digital camera make for a better picture (they don’t), and that charging a phone overnight somehow harms the battery (it doesn’t). Tech myths haven’t gone away since then, so HighSpeedInternet.com researchers renewed the report for 2020.
They anonymously surveyed 1,000 Americans to uncover what the public believes about emerging technology. This year’s report is teeming with new myths, some that even you might think are true.
For one, 5G cellular networks don’t make you sick, although 25 percent of Americans believe otherwise. 5G is a non-ionizing radiation, which isn’t strong enough to harm people, and it’s similar to another familiar cellular tech.
If you think 5G will replace 4G, think again (86 percent of survey respondents will have to). 5G is actually built on top of the 4G network, and so if your phone is operational on 4G, it’ll still work after a 5G upgrade. 5GE doesn’t mean the same thing as 5G, by the way; it’s the precursor to 5G. AT&T has actually faced a lawsuit over branding its 5GE services misleadingly.
Now onto satellites. Have you ever thought that low-Earth orbit satellites will obscure a great starry-night view? Over a third of respondents (36 percent) thought so. The launch of hundreds of satellites in recent years might have brought about this concern, but satellites such as SpaceX’s Starlink are shielded with a non-reflective substance and sunshades. What really interferes with astronomers’ views of planets and stars is the light of cities reflecting from clouds.
“The main reason people believe tech myths is simple, it is because these myths are circulating like viruses on the internet,” said Joe Flanagan, lead app developer at GetSongBPM. “Advertisements often pop up with data that is unreal, yet people fall for the clickbait and ultimately end up believing the myths that they are told.”