To block GBNews from my parent’s TV?

[goslowly]

My parents retired 4 years ago. They’re both in their 60s, healthy, happy, comfortable financially.

Since they’ve retired they have been sucked in by every single thing they say on there. They can spend an entire day sat in front of the TV getting angrier and angrier. It’s to the point that if Starmer comes on the TV, they shout about how he should be killed.

it’s genuinely starting to concern me. You can’t have a rational conversation with them about anything. I miss my parents, how they used to be before all the conspiracy and anger took over.

I’m genuinely tempted to block it from their tv using parental controls and just pretending it’s some weird fault in their telly. They’d not be able to fix it.

100% block it.
Anyone who condones this shit being streamed into homes needs their head read.
Block it and get them out into the world.
The shite the racism the bigotry that comes out of my uncles mouth from parrotting GB is disgraceful.
Block it.

Leave them to it and visit less.

My in laws are much the same. Both mid 70's. MIL never worked, FIL retired 10 years ago on a huge pension. Loads of money but don't have hobbies or go on holiday, so they rarely leave the huge house.

If they're not staring out the window and complaining about who is (legally) parking outside their huge house or nosing on the neighbours, they're spewing uninformed rubbish about immigration and benefit spongers. Last time I visited, FIL was almost frothing at the mouth about the teen MH crisis and saying they should send them to war to sort them out. I mostly leave DH to visit on his own now.

Someone referred to 'people that menstruate' on mainstream media yesterday! You don't get that sort of utter, offensive nonsense on GB news.

Have you spoke to them in direct terms stating how you have notice this change?

They need to be doing other things hobbies socialising? They sound depressed with a v negative view of the world - at what points in the week do they feel happy?

I would query if one of them has and other cognitive difficulties- personality changes and becoming aggressive, losing friend and falling out with people is one early sign of cognitive decline, do they still independently manage their money/bills - does one cover for the other? Can they still effectively orient themselves in time and place when they go out? Do they ever forget essential information that they should know? I’d just keep an eye on this.

Do you think that would genuinely work in this instance?

It’s not a retirement thing at all, it’s a racist person thing.

Message them that you're a leftie and don't want to be killed.
Then leave the dozy fuckers to it.

Those are my thoughts. The OP is adamant that nothing is wrong, but I do think something else is happening.

They’re mentally fine. It’s just this anger and hatred.

I’m in my sixties, @goslowly. And pretty horrified that you’d assume I’m too old and stupid to be allowed free will.

(And I’m not white - so probably amongst those your parents might prefer to have die on waiting lists.)

I don't think you can blame GB News! We're of similar vintage, and often watch it, along with the bbc, Sky etc.

We ridicule it, though, and certainly haven't been brainwashed... yet! Perhaps we should be worried! But it's really interesting to see how different news channels handle the same story. I actually support Keir Starmer - think I must be one of the few.

I think the answer is for you to encourage them to get out more, volunteer, see different world perspectives.

Could you do it for a few weeks and see if there's a difference? Try and get them out more?
I think long term it's possible problematic but if you trial it, and they seem less anxious and tense and do go out more, maybe you could ask them if they feel different and discuss it?

Yes, I would do that too.

‘Mum, Dad, I’m a leftie, are you going to shoot me? No? Well spare me the racist crap or you’ll not be seeing much of me.’

So, pre retirement, did they display racism and other hatred?

I'd be asking him.."you mean like jo cox was killed by a neo nazi?"
I think you should simply tell them what you've said here...you miss them, and are concerned that you'll have to stop seeing them if they continue to spout such evil bile.

I wish I could block bbc so my parents don’t get indoctrinated by leftist BS propaganda

I've reduced contact with some of my ILS because they believe everything they hear on GB News. They're in their 50s and still working, so I don't think it's a retirement thing. I'm 70, retired and still an anti-racist lefty, like my parents before me!

My local Stand Up To Racism group organised coaches to go to the anti-racist march in London earlier this year. The age profile was mainly middle-aged and older, included lots of pensioners, and a fair proportion of teens/early 20s. People in their 30s and 40s appeared to be under-represented.

It's not a retirement thing. I am retired, so is my husband, so are many of our friends, so is my Mum, and not one of us sits in front of the TV yelling that politicians of any party should be killed. It's a radicalisation thing and it appears to happen at any age to the susceptible.

They sit in front of the TV all day and call for the murder of the Prime Minister and left wing people?

yes it bloody is they are not children.

I know a perfectly normal, functioning, mid 40s father of four who got completely sucked into the conspiracy theories surrounding Covid. His wife said he was a bit of an asshole anyway (in the normal I’ve got four kids but don’t know what year they’re in way) but he went bizarro and they are now divorced. I just couldn’t wrap my head around the guy I used to chat to at our kids cricket matches and this new extreme. Two of his kids don’t talk to him anymore, but that didn’t change anything.
I also had a dear friend who dived off the cliff of sanity after she received one of those bog standard ‘please tell us if your circumstances have changed’ letters from HMRC. She went from a successful business woman to telling me ‘they’ were spying on her through her TV . She was eventually sectioned three times.
So I don’t know - things can trigger something in people. Are you concerned for their safety? Have they withdrawn from friends? Has it gone beyond just shouting at the tv (joined any organisations or been in touch with other like minded people)? Has any other family member noticed changes?
You can’t block their TV. But maybe seek outside advice in real life.

I’d argue that if they genuinely think Starmer should be killed, they are in fact not mentally fine. Whatever anyone thinks of his politics, that is a completely deranged view (and I’d say the same if someone thought any other politician should be killed).

They're only in their 60s - I imagine they are perfectly capable of making their own choices - and they are doing so.

You just don't like what they are choosing.

Maybe they don't like your choices or agree with your views - but neither of you have the right to exert this level of control on the other.

If you don't like who they are becoming - don't visit, or visit and challenge their views - provide an alternative view, show them alternatives.

Anything other than remove their choice by deception.

fuck off with the ageism.