Correlation is NOT causation. The confusion between the two has led to many problems.

For example, the anti-vaccination movement (meaning childhood vaccinations pre-COVID pandemic like Chicken Pox vaccination, MMR, etc.) has bloomed based on a CORRELATION between increased rates of vaccinations and increased diagnoses of persons on the Autism spectrum disorder. Although it has been completely disproven that vaccinations CAUSE autism, the movement persists. In reality, we as a society got much better at understanding and diagnosing Autism Spectrum disorder at the same time that we got better at developing fast, reliable and cheap vaccinations to prevent other childhood diseases.

Here's another example.If we collect data for monthly ice cream sales and monthly shark attacks around the United States each year, we would find that the two variables are highly correlated.

Ice Cream Sales vs. Shark Attacks Feb Mar Sep Dec Apr May Jun Jul Aug Oct Nov Jan Ice Cream Sales -Shark Attacks