Page 5 | Radicalisation of older people

colinthedogfromaccounts · 2025-02-19T22:37:44+00:00

My dad (late 70s) has gone full gangster conspiracy theorist. His long list of increasingly radical beliefs include: Chemtrails control us WHO created the pandemic The EU is evil. Big pharma is poisoning us (he has given up all his life saving meds) Vaccinations are a control mechanism Bill Gates is responsible for the weather The Democrats wanted world war Gaza is not real - it's all made up to persecute the Jews The list goes on. My worry is that this radicalisation is putting his health at risk, so I would like to really understand the psychology to approach this with as much evidence as possible. Sources are sketchy online (specifically relating to how and why older people become radicalised) - wondering if anybody has any research based insights into this.

trainermush · 20/02/2025 13:45

@JasmineAllen The title of the OP
is radicalisation of old people. Maybe google
some DM articles to do with Trump, labour, vaccines, lockdown and look at the comments...

Upchuck · 20/02/2025 13:45

FurAll · 20/02/2025 13:41

I would say that your DF either has the beginnings of dementia or he has always had these views and concealed them very well. My mum who is 89 is unfortunately the latter. Not about medicine but very racist when she was always pretended to be anti racist before. She watches Fox News and adores Elon Musk which doesn’t help.

It can be both of those things, but it can also be down to things like radical social change, an increasing lack of faith in governments and institutions (both justified and unjustified), feeling like you're part of something bigger/a community, and various other factors that I won't bore you with. It's actually a really complex and interesting topic.

trainermush · 20/02/2025 13:44

@ApolloandDaphne there was an article about boomers and AI slop in the daily mail, my aunt said it to me. Quite off brand for the DM 😆

JasmineAllen · 20/02/2025 13:42

trainermush · 19/02/2025 23:17

I think it's too much Daily Mail

I'm no fan of the DM, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't report that Bill Gates controls the weather or any weird stuff about chem trails !!
Or Gaza doesn't exist? How can that be a thing?

FurAll · 20/02/2025 13:41

I would say that your DF either has the beginnings of dementia or he has always had these views and concealed them very well. My mum who is 89 is unfortunately the latter. Not about medicine but very racist when she was always pretended to be anti racist before. She watches Fox News and adores Elon Musk which doesn’t help.

Original poster

colinthedogfromaccounts · 20/02/2025 13:41

Upchuck · 20/02/2025 13:40

There have been various studies, but I don't have the info on hand. Could post later if that would be helpful, but you should be able to find many of them on Google.

Show quote history

Thank you. That would be great.

OP posts:

Upchuck · 20/02/2025 13:40

colinthedogfromaccounts · 20/02/2025 13:37

I am worried that my father has done a complete 180 and I am trying to understand if there are any studies or information that relates to this.

To go from a logical, evidenced based critical thinker to a complete fanatic who believes we are being controlled by chemtrails and has stopped taking cardiac medication due to a new belief that the WHO is killing us in conjunction with big pharma...

I am honestly trying to understand and am struggling.

Show quote history

There have been various studies, but I don't have the info on hand. Could post later if that would be helpful, but you should be able to find many of them on Google.

Original poster

colinthedogfromaccounts · 20/02/2025 13:37

BusyExpert · 19/02/2025 23:26

the patronising self obsessed young posting here!. If tyour parents belief in these theories does not affect you then let them get on with it. It's no worse than the beliefs of so many younger people and possibly has more basis in truth.
certainly the widespread belief in many that men can be women.
There are very few older people that have fallen for this guff.

I am worried that my father has done a complete 180 and I am trying to understand if there are any studies or information that relates to this.

To go from a logical, evidenced based critical thinker to a complete fanatic who believes we are being controlled by chemtrails and has stopped taking cardiac medication due to a new belief that the WHO is killing us in conjunction with big pharma...

I am honestly trying to understand and am struggling.

OP posts:

Adamante · 20/02/2025 13:32

Almost as crazy as believing men can be women and that drag queens should host story hours for pre schoolers. Or that Joe Biden was perfectly capable and it was just far right viciousness that said he was actually sinking fast into dementia. Or the insistence that’s there’s absolutely no cultural element to the Rape Grooming Gangs. Or that masks worked and the Covid vaccination was completely safe and that it all started out in a wet market and got into humans via a pot of soup or some such 🤷🏼‍♀️

All of which I saw asserted strenuously and repeatedly right here on MN…

Original poster

colinthedogfromaccounts · 20/02/2025 13:25

Brefugee · 19/02/2025 23:09

Oh goody. On the day it is revealed that the UK is an absolute hotbed for it, up pops yet another ageist thread.
Slow handclap

Eh? Not at all ageist - this change has happened in the past two years. My parents are old.

OP posts:

daffodilandtulip · 20/02/2025 12:42

My parents are mid 70s. They are disgustingly racist, don't believe in education, and used to throw any medication I was given away. I had to get my vaccinations as an adult.

But my sister is the same, as are her children so I don't really think it's an age issue.

ApolloandDaphne · 20/02/2025 11:54

trainermush · 19/02/2025 23:17

I think it's too much Daily Mail

This is a problem with my DM. She is believes everything she reads in the Daily Mail and spouts the nonsense back at us. She is age 84. She didn't hold these views when she was younger.

MzHz · 20/02/2025 11:32

trainermush · 19/02/2025 23:17

I think it's too much Daily Mail

It is. This is one of the biggest dangers to our population. It's disinformation and destructive agendas designed to break our nation legitimised as a 'newspaper'

causing division, inciting hatred, forcing Brexit, with boundless conspiracy theories and gossip designed to keep the mindless masses busy while bad men do bad things and make a shit load of money doing it.

Stop fucking reading this stuff. please!!

Louise121806 · 20/02/2025 11:15

@scalt I agree wholeheartedly. People have lost faith in the government following Covid. Their approach was forceful and felt 'off' to many people which has caused fear. People were told they wouldn't be able to keep their jobs or travel and those who chose to not have the vaccine were accused of putting the vulnerable at risk making them feel cohersed into having a vaccine they didn't want or need. I'm not against anyone having the Covid vaccination but think its a personal choice and should not have been pushed so hard, especially since they have now been linked to various health conditions.

crackofdoom · 20/02/2025 11:13

justasking111 · 20/02/2025 00:44

Watching Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion. It struck me one day that Both are very popular with students and seniors. They both protest, lie in the road, resist arrest and are passionate about their causes.

The difference is that the OP's examples of conspiracy theories are just that- conspiracy theories. Whereas Just Stop Oil and XR are worried about a staggeringly vast scientific consensus pointing to the fact that we are experiencing climate change linked to the burning of fossil fuels.

People of all ages are concerned by this, but you see a larger proportion of retired people and students out protesting because they don't have work or childcare responsibilities.

TemporaryPosition · 20/02/2025 11:09

SwedishEdith · 19/02/2025 23:22

You can't approach it with evidence. There's evidence (ha) that facts simply won't work when someone is so far gone.

The collapse in trust is largely down to the way in which "facts" are created being exposed. So there is no way to reason anymore

Pokadotspink · 20/02/2025 11:00

HowardTJMoon · 20/02/2025 10:14

The conspiracy theorist side of BBS's etc was like having to travel to another town because that was the only place that had a shop selling print copies of Mein Kampf. You had to hunt it out.

By contrast, modern social media is posting copies of Mein Kampf, the Anarchist Cookbook, Behold a Pale Horse and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion through your letterbox every day. And if you so much as open one of them, you get twice as many tomorrow. It's a very different paradigm.

Show quote history

true,

Brefugee · 20/02/2025 10:42

Moonlightstars · 20/02/2025 00:37

It's not ageist. I'm old. It's s fucking nightmare. Older people are being deliberately targeted by the far right. Nigel farage is far right and this is his main target demographic. Sadly older people are easily drawn in. They are more likely to be drawn into right wing rhetoric and less savvy when it comes to social media tricks. The young are equally gullible so they too are being targeted (see Andrew Tate for more top tips)

Show quote history

Familiar with the Incel movement? MGTOW? It is lazy and ageist. And as I said the UK is horribly agest and none of you care.

borntobequiet · 20/02/2025 10:36

scalt · 20/02/2025 10:11

@borntobequiet I didn’t link fear messaging to vaccines. But in a way, there is a link - fear of dying which the govt had rammed down our throats in the first place was probably one reason so many people agreed to the vaccine, and although not actually said out loud, it was very, very, VERY strongly implied and hinted “if you refuse, there will be more lockdowns just for you, you might be banned from travelling, working, or going about your business, you will not have the same rights as other people; look at what other countries (Austria) are doing: the same might happen here.” To me, that is fear messaging, and doing it in this whispered way is almost worse than saying it out loud.

it was a massive mistake for the government to go so over the top with fear messaging, and authoritarianism, especially about vaccines.

This seems to provide the link, and indeed you go on to expand on it, though through your own interpretation as to what was “meant”.

In fact, vaccination slowed progress of the virus, protected many people, and did help us all to resume normal life earlier than would have been the case without the vaccine. I and many colleagues, felt safer at work once vaccinated.

Some of us are able to listen to what is communicated dispassionately, without immediately inferring controlling/coercive or malicious intent. It’s an approach I recommend.

Camembertcufflinks · 20/02/2025 10:32

I don't think it's just older people as I hear the same nonsense from all ages, however there is definitely a correction between certain media consumption and these views. My own father has become increasingly like this and definitely reads GB News!

HowardTJMoon · 20/02/2025 10:14

Pokadotspink · 20/02/2025 09:55

the old bbs i believe was one way to share conspiracy info amonst other things back in the day

Show quote history

The conspiracy theorist side of BBS's etc was like having to travel to another town because that was the only place that had a shop selling print copies of Mein Kampf. You had to hunt it out.

By contrast, modern social media is posting copies of Mein Kampf, the Anarchist Cookbook, Behold a Pale Horse and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion through your letterbox every day. And if you so much as open one of them, you get twice as many tomorrow. It's a very different paradigm.

scalt · 20/02/2025 10:11

@borntobequiet I didn’t link fear messaging to vaccines. But in a way, there is a link - fear of dying which the govt had rammed down our throats in the first place was probably one reason so many people agreed to the vaccine, and although not actually said out loud, it was very, very, VERY strongly implied and hinted “if you refuse, there will be more lockdowns just for you, you might be banned from travelling, working, or going about your business, you will not have the same rights as other people; look at what other countries (Austria) are doing: the same might happen here.” To me, that is fear messaging, and doing it in this whispered way is almost worse than saying it out loud.

Pokadotspink · 20/02/2025 09:55

HowardTJMoon · 20/02/2025 08:14

Usenet, BBS's and CompuServe were very different animals to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Show quote history

the old bbs i believe was one way to share conspiracy info amonst other things back in the day

borntobequiet · 20/02/2025 09:47

I must have missed the “fear messaging” about vaccines. What was that, exactly?

scalt · 20/02/2025 09:43

Louise121806 · 20/02/2025 07:05

Unfortunately, it's not limited to just the elderly and I can't really offer you any advice just thought I'd share that I can relate. During the pandemic, we actually distanced ourselves from friends due to their obsession with this kind of stuff, it was all they talked about and we found it really odd. Another friend who lost his job during Covid and has since spent all his time on YouTube watching conspiracy videos believes all the same non sense. I honestly find it quite concerning and believe it's starting to filter down to to the younger generations.

Now I'm all for people being independent thinkers and doing research to form your own opinions. My family didn't have the Covid vaccinations as it is a new type of vaccine and I didn't feel it has been researched enough, and since we had all actually had Covid by the time it was offered to us, I chose not to take the risk and I'm glad I didn't to be honest. But generally, I believe in vaccines because the evidence proves them to be safe and they're the reason we no longer suffer from things like polio, measles etc. However, recently due to the concern regarding the Covid jabs, people have just completely stopped vaccinating their kids and we are now seeing cases of measles etc. I also know of others that have completely stop all medication and go on to end up seriously ill. It is really concerning and not really sure what can be done about it.

This is precisely why I think it was a massive mistake for the government to go so over the top with fear messaging, and authoritarianism, especially about vaccines. People are now thinking “they cried wolf, so I will never listen again”, or “if they went to such lengths to bribe and coerce us into taking it, it can’t be good for us”. This and the very obvious suppression of debate and counter arguments convinced many people (rightly or wrongly) that the government was up to something.

Incidentally, I’ve heard some people in their forties saying “if somebody had told me when I was a teenager that I could change sex, I would totally have believed them”. Make of that what you will.