No evidence planes are dropping ticks over Ontario after social media conspiracy theory
cp24.com
A viral tick-dropping conspiracy theory in Ontario shows exactly how the Illusory Truth Effect and proportionality bias turn a social media post into a public health panic.
Illusory Truth EffectProportionality BiasConspiracy Theory FormationAvailability Heuristic
Theory Briefing
- Ontario social media posts falsely claimed planes were dropping ticks to deliberately spread Lyme disease, with no evidence to support it.
- Proportionality bias drives people to assign large, intentional causes — like bioweapon drops — to phenomena that feel too significant to be accidental.
- The illusory truth effect means repeated sharing of the tick conspiracy made it feel credible, undermining trust in public health messaging.