Should I let friend's iffy opinions go unchallenged?

[WarmthAndDepth]

I'm in a dilemma.
My usually level-headed friend has gone down a conspiracy theory rabbit hole since lockdown began (5G, Covid is a hoax, anti-Bill Gates / WHO, mandatory microchip vaccinations, Trump being the champion of the free world, BLM being a front for an elite power grab etc). She is now very sceptical of 'main stream media' and daily posts inflammatory content on FB sourced from her 'research' on obscure YouTube channels. I let most of it wash over me, but when I see stuff that is obviously wrong or likely to make someone feel frightened or worse, hostile toward another group in society, I have politely commented and pointed out inaccuracies or obvious bias / manipulation by the content creator / publishing platform along with basic helpful tips for simple fact checking.
She's now said it makes her 'look stupid' when I contradict her on her posts and that she can't be bothered to fact check as she 'trusts' these sources.
I think that if you post blatantly incendiary material on a public platform it's fair game (and I feel like it's my responsibility) to challenge it. But, I also think she's vulnerable (she wouldn't agree, so perhaps I'm patronising her) and I don't want her to feel 'got at'. I suppose I am hoping that once this is over, she'll come out of this weird paranoid haze and resume her normal straight-thinking self and we'll be able to somehow resume our friendship.
Should I back off, or keep on voicing my dissent? I could snooze her, but then she'd just be sharing this stuff unchallenged. What's more important?

Keep challenging the madness, what are friends for?

I would definitely reconsider the friendship. She sounds a bit unhinged and imo, it’s not a true friendship if you can’t challenge each other’s opinions. Another option is to snooze her and hope that she returns to normal after lockdown is over and her normal life resumes.

I think if you have the energy, then keep doing as you're doing because false information spreading like wild fire on social media is dangerous in many ways. Having said that, I had a friend who went down this route too. Started with anti-vax stuff and being a nurse, I always countered arguments with scientific journals and studies. Then it was not paying off bank loans because the government owed her the money (she was on one parent family allowance so no idea how she worked that out) and then it was one thing after another. Fluoride, sun cream blah blah blah. Not just reasoned arguments but full on rants and she could start an argument with a wall about it all. After a while I ended up having to distanced myself away from her. I was one of the "sheeple" to her because I could see the good and bad in the governnent/big pharma etc and I think she enjoyed being inflammatory in the end. I couldnt take it any more so we dont talk anymore. Sad after so many years really but it wasnt healthy for me to be around so much hostility all the time so Id understand if you didnt have the energy to keep it all up too!

I have a friend who is doing that too. I’ve said a few things but I’ve held back because she’s a lovely person and I don’t want to lose her as a friend.
She sends me crazy YouTube videos that are just over the top dramatic nonsense with no actual substance. It does take a lot of energy to try to persuade someone who takes them seriously that there are huge flaws with them.
We’ve agreed to disagree.

I think if you have the energy, then keep doing as you're doing because false information spreading like wild fire on social media is dangerous in many ways.

This. It's the sensible-minded's duty to say something. Just lately some of the absolute ridiculous shite that has come from people on my friends list they NEED to be told it's wrong if anything, for the benefit of anyone considering believing, sharing and spreading that rubbish.

Oh and no random Facebook numpty friend of mine. No Muslims are getting the Union Jack banned because they're offended by it. None. It's just not fucking happening. The people sharing that tripe can't name one single person who has an issue with the Union flag (Flag, not Jack!). They just can't. And that's because they have never heard an actual Muslim say anything about a flag. But apparently it's true because others are sharing it right? Or it's true because, "well it's true though!"

If your friend is being an idiot, as long as you're polite about it, presenting evidence that it's BS will perhaps make her start to engage her critical thinking and logic and stop spreading misinformation.

Or she'll unfriended you. Win win. You wouldn't have to see it anymore.

I'd silence her posts for now.

I think if I wanted to remain friends with her, I wouldn't challenge her openly on her own posts for everyone to read because it only comes across like you're trying to make her look stupid in public, which isn't what friends do.

However, I would incessantly challenge her in private, fb messages or whatsapp chat, wherever we chat privately so as to get her to see reason and hopefully change her mind, which is what my aim would be if she was my friend and I disagreed with what she posts or thought them iffy.

I would mute her instead so I don't see her fb posts. The public embarrassment from a friend won't get her to see what you want her to see instead and I wouldn't expect a friend to do that to me either.

If I don't care about her much, then it's open season on the public forum because I won't be bothered to have special discussions.

if I challenged my friends every time they posted utter bollocks on social media I’d be there all day.

Thanks, everyone. Really helpful to read your perspective. It's so tricky, Groups , because like you, I want to be a good friend, and normally, it would never occur to me to address differences with a friend in front of other people. But some things have felt like they cross some kind of a 'line' and if I don't say something, then some very provocative statements will stand, and the absence of challenge will sort of lend legitimacy to them, if you see what I mean? The silly thing is, she doesn't really say much herself, but will post some clip or article with a comment "I'll just leave this here...", "For the sheeple out there" or "X says it so much better than I could", without elaborating on it herself, so it's not as if I'm even arguing with her. But, without being too outing, I might point out, after a quick Google, that a commentator whose writing on X she has chosen to share, also lobbies for relaxed gun laws, has previously written about the Sandy Hook school shooting being a hoax and is publishing writing on alt right platforms. Or ask if she's actually read the full article she's shared, as, after a 'plausible' introductory paragraph, some outrageous racist slur or assertion about elites from a specific ethnic group appears, which I think must be called out, and I know she would never say to anyone's face.

I don't know if the virus has some as yet uncharted further effect on people's brains, but there seems to be a lot of madness abounding at the mo.

I'd go with your instinct if not challenging her, pretty much ignoring it all, avoiding the topic with her and biding your time to see if she calms down after a while.

As a friend, I think you have no choice but to accept that she's not very disciplined or conscientious intellectually, and sadly unaware of how misleading her inaccuracy and lack of proper researching of her sources can be.

If she's a really good friend, I'd just make mental note to self that she isn't as clever or sensible as I'd thought she was, feel a bit sad and downgrade the friendship to social chat only.

I would counter it. Maybe not every time, it would get wearing, but if it's something you feel needs addressing.

My MIL shares any old shite, and generally one or more of her sons and daughters in law will counter it if it's offensive/stupid/dangerous.

Is she my sister ?
You can’t do much imo if you challenge it they come back with something just as crazy or worse
I just nod and smile and point out that David icke is a crackpot - and repeat ..

This is what my friend with bipolar disorder does whilst manic.
I would mute her posts for now and check in with her to see if she's otherwise ok...

Oh, Heather David Icke
User, I did wonder initially whether there was anything seriously wrong, but have bumped into her on walks in the neighbourhood etc and she's fine, so it is more a case of self-radicalisation.

All the conspiracists have come out during lockdown, never mind scandal mongering. When it's over she will re-emerge gradually as the friend you knew. In your place I'd leave it and just not bother with her on facebook except for the usual, friendly stuff.

I do agree with her about the media, especially some branches of it.

If it’s ridiculously stupid and obviously inflammatory, I challenge it

A friend of mine shared a post about Lee Rigbys memorial was going to be removed.

Took me two minutes to discover this was fake...as well as seeing the original post was made in 2018

I pointed this out politely, and I noticed she quietly deleted the post.

You could report the posts to Facebook if you can't be bothered arguing with her. She wouldn't know it was you