Is "Pluribus" Scientific?

I complained after episode 2 that if the "afflicted" could not kill a bug then they would have a hard time doing the agriculture necessary to keep the human race alive. It rules out pesticides. Then in episode 6, they take that idea to an extreme level.

In terms of science, the illogic of the hive mind is not an issue, because humans are often illogical and more so in groups. However, I complained that Carol and the others should have tried to persuade the Hive Mind about the necessity of agriculture. It is not harming a plant to pick a fruit, because this is part of the natural life cycle of plants; it is how they spread their seeds, which is to be consumed by animals.

I have a video that talks about why "Pluribus" is not hard science fiction like "The Expanse". The only real issue scientifically is how the Hive mind communicates and controls its members. In episode 8 they talk about that briefly. However, I have a theory that maybe their communication is short ranged, and that prior to the mass joining they hijacked the cell phone networks to relay the signals. I have been asking since episode 1, why were the cell networks down?  The show doesn't throw out details like this without it having some significance.