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?

Not experiencing any of this in rl. It’s on internet and social media. But I ignore those posts as they are either idiots or a Russian troll factory.

Based on this thread you seem to select views that you want to engage with. You have dismissed the mainstream and sought only those that conform to your view.

I don't have any friends who believe stuff like this, though I do see comments on social media about this. I just eye roll and ignore personally. I know it's rubbish after all; if Covid isn't real, what in that case have I been suffering long-term since very early on? Symptoms that just happen to match the symptoms of a virus that they claim is a hoax??

I think the best thing is to get it back
To basics. People are entitled to their freedoms of speech and having an opinion. You don’t have to listen to it, it’s clear you have your own opinions on these subjects if you don’t agree with your friends then I would simply not engage with them. If it’s status’ and comments you’re seeing on Facebook then scroll past or remove them as friends, I do t use Facebook so dont know if you can mute them or not.

if you’re choosing to engage in some way then you’re choosing to feel intimidated when you don’t have to.

I have my own thoughts and opinions on many things, which many don’t agree with I’m not offended or intimidated by it because it’s their choosing what resonates with them as it is for me. I also don’t force feed it down people’s throats I adjust how I love. One of them is masks and I recently had a conversation with an nhs doctor who actually agreed with me which I was surprised at. We had an in-depth conversation about it and I learnt things from him. It’s one of these things different horses for different courses, unless someone is targeting you personally then I’d let it be and keep it moving for your own sake of mind.

One thing I have linked with any conspiracy theorist I know is that they either take coke or smoke weed.. Coincidence? Maybe 🤷‍♀️

Yes - also finding this and I don't even do the usual social media.

I still don't understand the connection between Hilary Clinton, Sex Trafficking and Covid though :( I mean I know it's bollox, but I don't even understand the nutty connections.

@peakygal Exactly, especially as weed smoking can lead to paranoia.

Get ye off social medjia

The World Wide Web is full of extreme views that seemingly spread like wild fire. All the Covid/5G nonsense is so far fetched that I find I just don't have the mental energy to even engage.

Let people work themselves up in to a froth, it may or may not boil over, and then everybody will calm down again.
People LOVE a drama and getting het up about almost anything.

If people who are hard fo thinking end up making you anxious, don't engage.

I still don't understand the connection between Hilary Clinton, Sex Trafficking and Covid though sad I mean I know it's bollox, but I don't even understand the nutty connections.

There does not need to be any kind of logical connection if it generates a kind of unholy 'us vs them' feeling of righteous anger.

It is nuts.

I've only seen them on MN really. I think I'd be cutting them out of my life if I knew anyone like this.
They are quite insane. They don't scare me so much as make me ponder how supposedly grown up and relatively educated people can believe half this stuff.

I have a Facebook friend like this, constantly posting about how stupid people are for wearing masks and all these links to utterly ridiculous conspiracy theorist crap (apparently McDonald's burgers are made out of Jewish children). He's always been a bit like this but covid seems to have pushed him over the edge. what's scary is the amount of people liking and agreeing with him. I've blocked him now though which is much better for my blood pressure 😄

Bizarrely, no joke, these same people are now removing their kids from schools in their droves for home schooling
How many is "droves"? Do you actually personally know lots of people who believe these things?

I have come across a few on social media who rant about 5G, vaccines and Bill Gates wanting to chip us all.
I tend to avoid them and ignore since they don't appear to listen to rational debate and when I previously questioned a post I got the sheeple response... some are very dumb.
I notice that the ones that post stick together, tend to have low intelligence IME, and use the same stock response when questioned.

Yes yes and yes!
I've tried to block and ignore but have also noticed the source of the links often come via some "Keep Britain for the British" type folk.
Can't help constructing my own theory that there's an underlying conspiracy to these conspiracy theories.

I have just had alight bulb moment regarding why this is so triggering for me!

Totally understandable @famousforwrongreason

There’s a few people on my Facebook who are like this, I don’t feel intimidated I just find them lacking in intelligence

You can unfollow Facebook friends if their views annoy/upset you. There are quite a few I've done that with. I get irritated by their views but not enough to actually not want to be friends with them.

I think I'd probably unfriend a person who I discovered to believe that Covid is a hoax, however. Because of my own experience of being ill myself and knowing of people who have died of it, I would take it somewhat more personally than someone having strongly pro Tory views.

I know one or two people who have fallen into it. What's worrying is that they've so quickly fallen to the right wing political line as well, because it's politics after all.

Op
I've pretty much come off social media because of this

There’s a few people on my Facebook who are like this, I don’t feel intimidated I just find them lacking in intelligence

It's much more complicated if they're 'real' friends though isn't it. If they're people you historically socialised with and spent a lot of time with. If only it was as easy as pressing a button to unfollow/unfriend in these cases.

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!

Ah, well, no wonder!
Part of good mental health house keeping to to avoid stuff that you find affects you adversely, and identify and do more of the stuff that is helpful.
Be very kind to yourself just now.

I know quite a few IRL who have gone down this path - I never really thought till I read this but yes I do find them quite intimidating with it.
Definitely weird far right links to it all too

@WhatamessIgotinto

There’s a few people on my Facebook who are like this, I don’t feel intimidated I just find them lacking in intelligence

It's much more complicated if they're 'real' friends though isn't it. If they're people you historically socialised with and spent a lot of time with. If only it was as easy as pressing a button to unfollow/unfriend in these cases.

Yep. Annd now we're easing up on the social distance it's not all just in messages etc, it's face to face, with people I care about, but i am pulling back, still quite upsetting

I have atleast 7 people at last count on my Facebook who have visibly fallen down the rabbit hole whilst on lockdown, ovid means sheep in latin so your all sheep, calling people who just go about their lives following government advice and wearing masks Sheeple 🙄

I find it so sad that they have been suckered into believing this, whilst im not naive in some of the goings on, the absolutely batshittery that comes with these pages and theories, it a whole sticky spider web of craziness, the type that you used to see happen and make a little joke about the person being a little loopy, but now everyone is falling into that little loopy world, what is happening.

I don't find them intimidating, because I just straight up don't engage, but can totally see why they can be intimidating.

sinister Tommy robinson types.

Does he have a conspiracy theory on Masks 🤔

I think there are just as many people at the other extreme end of the spectrum, believing we should still all be locked up in our own homes (never mind children's education, the economy, people's livelihoods and mental health) until some unknown date where covid is completely eradicated.
It is worrying though how many people are at one extreme or the other. Level headedness and critical thinking has gone completely out of the window.