Troubled by the New Zealand government’s approach, he turned to social media for news and community.
His immersion in this conspiratorial world has coloured his outlook and affected his relationships.
And recently, groups like the ones he’s a part of have been sharing misleading claims not only about Covid, but about climate change.
It’s part of a larger pattern.
These stickers bear slogans with anti-vaccine, anti-mask and conspiratorial content, including slogans such as “Resist the New Normal”, “Real Men Don’t Wear Masks”, and false statements such as “There Is No Pandemic”.
During the pandemic, her girlfriend began to believe extreme conspiracies about Covid-19 and vaccines.
The term has found popularity with YouTubers who peddle conspiracy theories – but climate scientists say lockdowns would not be a serious climate change mitigation strategy.
However, the distress caused by Covid and lockdowns – and the falsehoods that have sprung up around them – have laid the groundwork for yet more conspiracies to spread.