Freedom and the Anti-Vaxx Movement
A thing like a global pandemic brings out both the best and the worst in us. The best, as we increase cooperative ventures, pitching in, volunteering, solving problems on the run, in order to save lives and keep essential services going. The worst, as individuals retreat within themselves, and create an echo chamber for their own fears and prejudices, both falling prey to, and actively participating in the spread of disinformation on the internet. The issue I want to focus on is the anti-vaccine movement. One of the largest components of this movement is made up of young men, age 20 -40, which suggests a group of people who are in good health, feel somewhat invulnerable, and don’t yet feel the full responsibility of raising a family. They claim that they are motivated by freedom - they wish to be free to act however they want, without being told what they can and cannot do. This is also a perennial adolescent theme, a theme that originates from being in a protected state wher