Chesterton quipped, “When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything.” People still have an innate hunger for purpose in their lives, and when people choose to not center their lives around God, they seek that purpose elsewhere and there are more than enough false prophets peddling causes du jour that are ready and willing to enlist them.
The whole mask craze is just the latest example. As your photo shows, the mask is entirely ineffectual for limiting or halting the spread of pathogens, but must be worn nonetheless. This is pure symbol over substance for the wearer, but what is far more insidious is that mask is very effective as a means of behavior modification for those who want an increasingly compliant citizenry.