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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To worry there is a serious mental health crisis amongst conspiracy theorists?

232 replies

BlooperReel · 15/07/2020 08:18

Maybe it's because I've been online more now due to lockdown, but conspiracy theories seem to have really ramped up, people I know are now peddling some of this nonsense. Adrenochrome, pizzagate, 5G etc all seem to have sucked in people I'd assumed were rational people, and they are almost rabid about it and wil not hear any other viewpoint.

A bbc documentary called Viral - the 5g conspiracy theory interviewed some individuals who quite clearly need help.

I've seen the likes of Bill Gates, Chrissy teigen, Ellen DeGeneres and others get so much appalling abuse on social media over these theories and I can only think that the people who wholeheartedly believe this stuff must have psychological issues, the levels of paranoia are truly astounding. Is this an emerging mental health crisis?

OP posts:
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7
JaneJeffer · 23/07/2020 12:21

Chrissy Teigen has never tweeted anything alarming involving children.
She has.

To worry there is a serious mental health crisis amongst conspiracy theorists?
ChavvySexPond · 23/07/2020 12:24

That's a comment on the madness of the adult hair and make up on Toddlers and Tiaras.

JaneJeffer · 23/07/2020 12:27

That doesn't make it right.

ChavvySexPond · 23/07/2020 12:28

And the earlier ones are sarcasm, mocking people who do think like that, trolling the trolls and jokes.

ChavvySexPond · 23/07/2020 12:30

@JaneJeffer

That doesn't make it right.
Surely putting heavy adult make up on a toddler is what's wrong not pointing out that toddler pageant make up is weird and far too adult.
JaneJeffer · 23/07/2020 12:34

No need for the "trashy do-anything" part then. It's a baby!

TheSandman · 23/07/2020 12:51

No need for the "trashy do-anything" part then. It's a baby!

The "trashy-do-anything" part is descriptive of the porn star that the poster thinks the baby looks like not the baby.

It's emphasis.

It's making the image stronger - a sign of the times maybe that 'porn star' has become so mainstream and accepted that it needs reinforcing to be turned into a bad thing

KaptainKaveman · 23/07/2020 13:01

A lot of people seem to be getting confused between orchestrated cover ups - for example the Catholic Church abuse scandal - and the obviously lunatic theories cooked up and espoused by people like Alex Jones (InfoWars) and Q-anon. If you watch footage of Jones, or any of the Q-Anon members explaining their ideas (there is footage on various clips on YouTube) then one is left in no doubt that they are mentally deranged and probably need to be sectioned.

KaptainKaveman · 23/07/2020 13:01

They also pose a danger to society, IMo.

jewel1968 · 23/07/2020 13:08

@KaptainKaveman but I think there is a connection. There is a spectrum and on one side you have people who will believe all manner of fantastical stuff and on the other people who are unwilling or unable to believe things like the Catholic Church coverups or Savile or that Murdoch has a stranglehold on democracy etc ...

ChavvySexPond · 23/07/2020 13:16

@JaneJeffer

No need for the "trashy do-anything" part then. It's a baby!
It's a descriptor. You know the kind of hair and make up those parents have put on their toddler from that description without her having to list the heavy smokey eyes, unsubtle false eye lashes, overdrawn lips with jammy lipgloss, high heels and hair extensions.

Toddlers and Tiaras parents don't do a subtle Bobbi Brown 10 Step on their children do they?

It was a jokey sarcastic Twitter thread on "how weird is this?! And "what kinds of audience demographic would be interested in seeing toddlers this way?!" - not Chrissy Teigen outing herself as a paedo.

Mycatsmellsbad · 23/07/2020 16:07

Anyone who’s followed Chrissy teigen on twitter and Instagram for years knows that tweet business was a load of complete nonsense. The abuse these people have been getting is horrendous and that’s what concerns me about this, the ct’s never make an intelligent argument to support their views, just spread hate.

Fosler · 24/07/2020 07:59

OPi find your comments extremely offensive and would suggest it is you who has a problem.

It is only wise to question everything and not blindly accept everything you are told. I therefore suggest you watch this video and a few others with different points of view to your own.

jewel1968 · 24/07/2020 09:53

@Foster the claims in that video make no sense to me. I have no problem with people questioning things and agree it is wise. Suggest you question what is being said in that video. My mother died of COVID and so perhaps for me the claims in that video are particularly irritating. It is not like flu!

Iwalkinmyclothing · 24/07/2020 10:13

@Fosler

OPi find your comments extremely offensive and would suggest it is you who has a problem.

It is only wise to question everything and not blindly accept everything you are told. I therefore suggest you watch this video and a few others with different points of view to your own.

It is only wise to question everything and not blindly accept everything you are told

I question the value of the video you posted and am unable to accept there is any value whatsoever to its contents. Gosh, I suddenly feel so wise Hmm.

My point of view is that people who cannot understand actual science and find that frightening make themselves feel better by inventing alternative stories to explain the world around them. Someone close to me got drawn into a load of crap posited by someone who spouts the 'question everything' line constantly. He would show me the "theories" this person put forward and be very offended that I did not give them equal weight with actual theories and scientific research and evidence. Apparently lying on your bed and daydreaming is as valuable as conducting genuine controlled experiments when it comes to understanding how the universe works. Apparently, meditation uncovers The Truth in a way physics can't.

GinWithRosie · 24/07/2020 10:27

Oh dear @Fosler 🤦‍♀️. What utter shit 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Komacho · 24/07/2020 11:16

I'd listen to a brain-dead chimp before I'd listen to Vernon Coleman. He also thinks AIDS was a hoax.

user1471565182 · 24/07/2020 12:01

All opinions are not equal.

tectonicplates · 24/07/2020 15:08

A quote from back on page 5:

It is impossible to have a reasonable discussion with someone like this. When I try to question anything he believes in I am obviously brainwashed and thinking inside the box. He on the other hand is a free thinker who is obviously more intelligent than others. He has a thing about people who went to university and often if we are discussing conspiracy theories he will often refer to "you university lot" and say that although he did not have a particularly good education he understands all these issues while I quite clearly do not.

Actually, as a person who did a degree in my 30s as a mature student, I can really understand this. Before I went to uni, I was getting increasingly resentful and annoyed with people with degrees, for two main reasons. Firstly, because I kept getting turned down for jobs on the basis that I didn't have a degree, even though they were basic admin jobs. During the last recession in particular, there was a sudden spate of adverts for "graduate administrator" or "graduate PA", even "graduate receptionist", and I became very frustrated by the number of jobs I was turned down for, for this frankly ridiculous reason.

Secondly, because I knew a few people, with degrees, who would constantly try to over-intellectualise every conversation we had, even very mundane things. They'd try and turn everything into an academic discussion. There are younger graduates in particular who lack the social skills to know when it is or isn't appropriate to have those sorts of discussions which are fine at uni but really not acceptable in a workplace, e.g. if you have a low-status job and you try to argue with your boss in an overly academic manner. It's still one of my pet hates at work, when people try to have intellectual-style arguments about why they should technically be allowed to do something we've said no to. Because it's company policy, that's why.

I never got into these conspiracy theories, but I can certainly understand the way of thinking of the quote above, because when the world is obsessed with universities and degrees, it really can make you feel like an outcast. Getting a degree made me feel like a more valued member of society, although I still resent the fact that that's down to other people's perceptions of me rather than my own view of myself, but it means I'm now far less likely to believe the whole world is against me. I can definitely see how conspiracy theories are attractive when you've feel you've finally found your people, when you feel nobody listens to you, when you've faced multiple rejections and nobody welcomes you.

Mycatsmellsbad · 24/07/2020 15:24

If I have to see that video with that ridiculous man in it one more time, or see a post from a ct who rather than give an articulated response says ‘here watch this video and all will become clear’, I will scream!

ChavvySexPond · 24/07/2020 16:03

I question everything. I have an enquiring mind.

And I can read so no, I won't waste my time watching someone waffle on on video. Summarise the arguments if you'd like me to engage with them.

ChavvySexPond · 24/07/2020 16:08

@Mycatsmellsbad

If I have to see that video with that ridiculous man in it one more time, or see a post from a ct who rather than give an articulated response says ‘here watch this video and all will become clear’, I will scream!
Exactly.

There was an inane and insidious covid one back in March with a water bottle that I had to watch in order to point out exactly how it was nonsense to my family members who kept bloody sharing it.

And it finished me . No more. I won't watch another one. I can READ. If you want me to engage then summarise the argument.

KaptainKaveman · 24/07/2020 16:24

Yes there's no point wasting time on the lunatic fringe. David Icke's got an article up on Infowars atm about how Covid-19 is a big lie cooked up by governments to enslave the people. I really don't need to read a single sentence in order to know that it's a load of inane hysterical bollocks.

anon2334 · 25/07/2020 12:13

I don’t think it’s mutually exclusive.. my friend is bi polar and she is not a conspiracy theorist but since COVID since she gone into meltdown and literally anxious Because of the main stream media, the lies from the government and constant new guidance ever changing And what happened in care homes , she literally said they are so fake and dishonest it makes her very anxious. She was told by a mental health professional to switch off the news as it’s not good for you and get into nature and try balance heya you hear not believe All they (the media) report!

How is it the government are allowed to continually lie, Cummings checking his eye sight! Come on utter rubbish, Neil fergusson going to see his missues, Matt Hancock admitting that not being able to see relatives of those sick was a mistake, manipulating the numbers of COVID deaths. The constant mis information. Thousands of people waiting for medical treatment, Being terrified by the endless propaganda by the media and government.

I can’t say much about elite peodo ring as it’s early days but probably a lot of corruption amongst some powerful people in Charge going on there. Prince Harry saying the world is run by sick people and I honestly don’t think he was making that up.

Why is it War Criminals like Tony Blair lie about weapons of mass destruction killing innocent human beings many children and l yet peddled our by the media to give advise every now and again and yet it’s those those are questioning how things are run that get called Conspiracy theorists and mentally sick by your definition op? how sick a human must you be to lie about that and cause devastation and deaths knowingly.

Jimmy Saville being covered up when he was a predator /monster of the worst kind. He even had Keyes to hospitals where he was into necrophilia yet again nothing said about the cover up which in my opinion is utter inhuman. but it’s the people sickened and questioning all this corruption that get told you have mental health problems? To be honest I’m real life when we discuss things like this no one thinks someone is mentally sick ? Only on mumsnet is there a obsession with anyone saying anything or questioning things. As lovely as Mumsnet is there is a lot going on in the outside world that we are not privy to. Although I don’t believe it’s all bad and I’m not paranoid. I think life has always been like that history will tell you all this.

I don’t know much about Chrissy Tiegan just saw a couple of tweets she then deleted and I honestly wouldn’t write that stuff and it’s questionable as anyone with an sane mind wouldn’t even say that about babies /kids. However doesn’t mean she in involved anything and should be innocent unless proven guilty.. She shouldn’t delete 26,000 tweets though I wouldn’t need to as never had anything that would make me do that..

Things like that should be left to the FBI to investigate. And yes people shouldn’t troll someone and cause them distress. It’s not fair to do that to anyone..

UFO, Bigfoot and lizards are stuff people have talked about for thousands of years. In fact mythology and ancient history of you read books and study and look at different cultures and way of life have always believed in all sorts of stuff.

Religion as well as questionable stories and beliefs yet it is taught in schools and is a way of life for people but I don’t judge them I honestly enjoy different healthy debates on philosophy and history etc.

A healthy balance is needed and also not everything reported in the media and tv news is accurate And even outright misinformation and lie with catchy headlines lol. As for a dystopian an future well Boris Johnson UN speech was interesting have a search on your tube. It was September 2019 I believe! Made me go ‘ ohhhhh lol

GinWithRosie · 25/07/2020 12:51

@anon2334 you are confusing ‘conspiracy theories’ with ‘cover ups’. People KNEW about Jimmy Saville and covered up for him...no conspiracy 🤷‍♀️ It was true, they had actual, REAL HARD EVIDENCE! But still covered for him!

You are projecting and guessing with your ‘Prince Harry’ remarks...you have NO IDEA what he meant!

Tony Blair...you know he wasn’t actually found guilty right? You say you are not a CT but you sound very much like one 🤷‍♀️