To feel intimidated by conspiracy theorists

[famousforwrongreason]

I have a lot of friends who seem to have moved into plandemic territory, masks are evil etc. Some people are who I'd least expect to have these beliefs, rational people.
They have linked covid to 5g and are now crusading for the save our children campaign saying anyone who doesn't join them is complicit in child abuse and people trafficking.
They literally say this.
this is not even one group of friends, but disparate unconnected from each other.
I feel like they're dropping like flies.
I have every reason to believe that these campaigns have right wing connections, many of them are using American spelling for things which are also being shared by qanon people and there is some crossover.
I am not keen on our government, not overly happy with masks but also not overly bothered, I'll do what I can to help get things back to normal, maybe I'm being naive there
I just want to rant really, I keep inadvertently insulting people when I bring it up irl and each time a new person tells me their thoughts on it all I just become more alarmed!
I would also do anything I can to protect children, I just feel that linking up with these militant groups is not the only way.

Plus the friends who are heavily involved seem to have become friends with some really heavy and sinister Tommy robinson types.
I feel worried about the mass hysteria, but also sad I'm losing friends and worried about where this will end.
Is anyone experiencing this?
Aibu to feel this is slightly sinister?

I’m not experiencing it and don’t know anybody who is experiencing it either.

@CitizenFame

I’m not experiencing it and don’t know anybody who is experiencing it either.

Perfect mn response: it's not my experience, therefore it didn't happen. Thanks for your input though.

I know some people like this.

I find it intimidating because they seem to want to challenge everything all the time.

Paying with contactless (like I did Pre Covid) - get the lecture about how the using money wasn't a Covid thing and the cards to about tracking and control and how they have no worth compared to actual money blah blah.

Wear a mask - get lecture about the control and how it's all part of making us reliant on government telling us what's in our best interests. Why am I wearing one?

I feel that even a lot of things I did pre Covid are questioned and I'm made to feel like everything I and everyone else did as the norm makes us sheep.

I find it intimidating because I'm just trying to live my life as normal as possible until we come out the other side of this pandemic.

And its questions like "how do you know all those deaths were Covid. What proof do you have other than being told"

Which really does back you into a corner because obviously I didn't do a PM on them all!
And if you say because it's the pandemic blah blah you get the next list of all the ways they are trying to convince us.

My FB friends list has for shorter and so has the people I meet for coffee!

You know some very strange people.

I wouldn’t worry about mass hysteria. It’s still a seriously minority viewpoint.

I don’t know anyone who thinks the pandemic is a hoax or spread by 5g masts.

My friends and workplace are sane but one of them knows someone who believes the aforementioned crap and swans about with no mask. I don’t know why he believes this as I don’t know him personally. I don’t know if he’s a member of some organisation or something.

I know someone who has died of CV so I know it’s no hoax for sure.

@PurpleDaisies

You know some very strange people.

I wouldn’t worry about mass hysteria. It’s still a seriously minority viewpoint.

You'd be surprised. The most vocal one I know was always perfectly normal (although is an anti Vaxer).

Normal job, normal family and never preached her anti jab stuff at us just said she decided she didn't want to have vaccinations for her kids.

Perfect mn response: it's not my experience, therefore it didn't happen.
Thanks for your input though.

I don't understand why your reply to Citizen's post is so snippy. They answered the exact question that you asked. Not really a great way to get people to engage with your thread.

I haven't really experienced your situation either with the exception of one person. I don't feel intimidated by him or anyone else with these views, I just think they're bellends.

@itsgettingweird

I know some people like this.

I find it intimidating because they seem to want to challenge everything all the time.

Paying with contactless (like I did Pre Covid) - get the lecture about how the using money wasn't a Covid thing and the cards to about tracking and control and how they have no worth compared to actual money blah blah.

Wear a mask - get lecture about the control and how it's all part of making us reliant on government telling us what's in our best interests. Why am I wearing one?

I feel that even a lot of things I did pre Covid are questioned and I'm made to feel like everything I and everyone else did as the norm makes us sheep.

I find it intimidating because I'm just trying to live my life as normal as possible until we come out the other side of this pandemic.

And its questions like "how do you know all those deaths were Covid. What proof do you have other than being told"

Which really does back you into a corner because obviously I didn't do a PM on them all!
And if you say because it's the pandemic blah blah you get the next list of all the ways they are trying to convince us.

My FB friends list has for shorter and so has the people I meet for coffee!

Thank you thank you thank you for helping me see its not just me! Yes it's partly the constant effing challenging. Being told I'm bringing up my kids in a state of fear, Molly codling and over protective just because I'm following normal guidelines. Or that I'm harming them by not getting involved in marches against sex trafficking.

I'm a keyworker so my kids have been out in it throughout so I'm definitely not over protective.
Bizarrely, no joke, these same people are now removing their kids from schools in their droves for home schooling Because of the way schools are 'segregating' them or conversely, not using masks at all.
Yes it is making my circle v small which I guess is no bad thing. At least I know now. I can't bear being around people who question and challenge my every action whilst doing and believing crazy stuff themselves.
I also wonder if it's linked to the fact that a lot of them haven't been working throughout lockdown, either furlough or self employed on the whole, maybe too much time to think/dwell research?

@PurpleDaisies

You know some very strange people.

I wouldn’t worry about mass hysteria. It’s still a seriously minority viewpoint.

The thing is, they're not strange. Well... Most of them aren't / weren't ....

I’m not experiencing it to the same levels OP but I am seeing it on FB and also hearing about it from friends. Some totally normal people being taken in by all of this. I have been asked to join a FB group by an acquaintance who posts some crazy stuff, was feeling a friend who that morning had blocked her for the same reason.
My brother also told me about one of his best friends who is a nice, normal man taken in by all of this!
There’s a crazy amount of it going on - not sure what their agenda of the creators of this is - but they are preying of people’s anxiousness and fears at this time.

To be honest I am more intimated by the angry permanently offended mob.

Telling not feeling!!! I don’t make a habit of feeling my friends 😀

Perfect mn response: it's not my experience, therefore it didn't happen.

There are an awful lot of people on MN who genuinely find it impossible to understand that their life and personal experiences are not universal. It’s a sign of very low intelligence, I think.

@WhatamessIgotinto

*Perfect mn response: it's not my experience, therefore it didn't happen. Thanks for your input though.*

I don't understand why your reply to Citizen's post is so snippy. They answered the exact question that you asked. Not really a great way to get people to engage with your thread.

I haven't really experienced your situation either with the exception of one person. I don't feel intimidated by him or anyone else with these views, I just think they're bellends.

Yeah it was snippy. Sorry. I just see this response so much on here, maybe I misinterpreted it. Guess I'm feeling a bit sensitive atm. My world feels a bit upside down, its almost like I'm in a conspiracy place, like a sci fi, everyone I thought was 'normal' has turned out to be completely different from what I thought and suddenly I don't know my friends anymore. Obviously the logical me is glad I now know where not to direct my efforts anymore but to keep being told I'm complicit in various horrors is grating.

Apologies to @CitizenFame

OP, you literally asked if people have experienced this, so you can't really get arsey when someone answers you.

I've seen posts online, mostly comments on articles though. I don't know anyone personally who believes in most of what you've reported. Just a few who bang on about masks making everyone ill. I just ignore them.

Cross posted with you OP.

@OldKingCole

I’m not experiencing it to the same levels OP but I am seeing it on FB and also hearing about it from friends. Some totally normal people being taken in by all of this. I have been asked to join a FB group by an acquaintance who posts some crazy stuff, was feeling a friend who that morning had blocked her for the same reason. My brother also told me about one of his best friends who is a nice, normal man taken in by all of this! There’s a crazy amount of it going on - not sure what their agenda of the creators of this is - but they are preying of people’s anxiousness and fears at this time.

Feel away! I'm relieved it's not just my experience but I'm bothered by how far it's going to go. We're a small town and I see them linking up with each other now too so they're no longer lone crusaders!

@DanielRicciardosSmile

OP, you literally asked if people have experienced this, so you can't really get arsey when someone answers you.

I've seen posts online, mostly comments on articles though. I don't know anyone personally who believes in most of what you've reported. Just a few who bang on about masks making everyone ill. I just ignore them.

Just a few who bang on about masks making everyone ill. That tickled me, not sure why.

@famousforwrongreason I can understand why you feel that way if so many of your friends are like this. Maybe time to rethink those friendships? Not because they have a different view to you, but if they're 'accusing' you of all sorts they don't sound like very nice people anyway.

I'm finding the same - lots of wildly differing views.

I decided to cope by listening to the person in front of me and not giving my opinion. But if pressed, my opinion is that I don't know, I really don't.

yes I'm experiencing it and yes it's sinister.

People I thought were perfectly normal suddenly using the phrase wake up people and sharing posts saying the pandemic is about sexual abuse.

[quote WhatamessIgotinto]@famousforwrongreason I can understand why you feel that way if so many of your friends are like this. Maybe time to rethink those friendships? Not because they have a different view to you, but if they're 'accusing' you of all sorts they don't sound like very nice people anyway.[/quote]
Yes agree. Think I'm a bit rocked and astonished. Tbf I grew up with fear mongering conspiracy theorist parenting and it fucked me up so I have just had alight bulb moment regarding why this is so triggering for me!

I’m seeing this all over social media too OP.

I even went down a bit of a rabbit hole reading into it. But what a pile of bollocks it is!

I'm wary of them because there seems to be a high proportion of scarily crazy people in this group.

I just debate them ' so the virus doesn't exist so where is the money coming from to bribe all the doctors, nurses, vets etc. to cover it up, where is the department handling the conspiracy which country is the staff from?'

Etc. Etc.