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.

I quite agree - and I am a long term pensioner, not in the high tax bracket.

This sort of outrage is fuelled by the media and by charities such as Age UK (who do very little anyway from what I can see), who post patronising adverts everywhere saying 1 in 4 pensioners is poverty stricken. Just not true! There are poor pensioners and they need help, they can also claim for various things but certainly not one in four.

I am more concerned about the struggle young people have, especially those with children. You will find pensioners moaning about child allowance and free school meals, "We never had all that when ours were growing up, we fed our kids...".

I think my generation has turned into grumpy old gits.

Yes we can be grumpy gits but that's specific to most age groups. We're human. Im a grumpy git when I see posts which shoehorn boomers into the conversation simply to have a go at us because of their great dislike of old 'uns. Why shouldn't we retaliate in these instances? So it's fine for some posters to have a dig but we're grumpy when we dig back? That's why some boomers are on this thread...simply because some grumpy git was having a go at them.

You don"t think housing is going to keep getting more expensive do you? Everything, interest rates, reversal of mass immigration etc.points against that happeneing.

GB News promotes the idea of hard up pensioners and selfish, rich Boomers.
🤔
Greedy landlords and hardworking entrepreneurs providing much needed housing.
🤔🤔
The plight of young adults struggling to find employment/housing and this generation being lazy, feckless and stupid.
🤔🤔🤔
How the UK needs to attract/keep billionaires and how the metropolitan /global elite hate and stymie regular people.
🤔🤔🤔🤔

It's all about division.🤷‍♀️ They spin on a sixpence because GB News is not a news channel. It's a mouthpiece spreading hate and division in the UK.

It's a mouthpiece spreading hate and division in the UK

🎯 @TooBigForMyBoots

I tend to find that the most intelligent people I know hover roughly around the political centre. They may lean left on some opinions and lean right on others. They usually don’t form opinions on topics until they have enough information. They tend to get their news from a variety of sources, knowing that the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle, and tend to be more open to listening to other people’s opinions without losing their minds or getting worked up over someone believing something different to them.
In short, they tend to think more rationally and don’t include their own egos in the equation.

Even highly educated, intelligent people can allow themselves to be fooled into believing the propaganda of hate.

I can’t stand people dealing with absolutes. And I am a millennial. I really dislike it when people say “all boomers are xyz” or “all Gen Z are xyz”

It makes no logical sense. Of course not everyone born in one generation are going to be clones of each other.

Oh my. The kool-aid is a good vintage this year.

Highly educated Germans thought the same. C1933.

I'm sorry but it is. That is absolutely mental health issues shouting loudly.

I agree, I don't like the anti-boomer stuff. I don't think the OP was coming from an ageist position and I don't think it's fair to interpret concerns about people of any age becoming more isolated and fearful/angry as ageism.

The conversation moved on though and I agree the later posts along the lines of "stupid boomers" weren't right. There is an irony though that some of the people vociferously defending their/the OPs parents right to say quite hateful things about other races/make huge generalisations were very upset by the unpleasant language targeted at boomers. Two wrongs don't make a right however.

Some of the arguments about things (clothes and food) being cheaper now are a bit misguided because they are cheaper for everyone. Yes people in their twenties benefit from that right now. But people in their sixties and above also benefit to the same extent, arguably more if they have more disposable income due to not paying rent/mortgage. But individuals finances vary a lot. Not all boomers are rich. Not all Gen Z are poor. And the issues around eg housing costs aren't the "fault" of boomers. It's just an immovable fact that needs to be considered/dealt with.

It utterly depends on your area bit I can well believe that 1 in 4 pensioners live in poverty

Yes! I think also that while the stereotype is of boomers who bought houses when they were cheap, there's a large cohort of pensioners who were never able to buy their own house and so are as vulnerable to rising housing costs as younger people. Or who live in impoverished areas and havenlittle equity in their house and little liquid assets.

But equally, the argument that "kids these days have so many opportunities and activities available" isn't true. A lot of activities cost money,.even if not much and there has been a huge sell of of things like school sports fields, council tennis courts etc. Also public transport is expensive and inconsistent in areas outside of London which makes it harder for some kids to get to those activities. Especially if their parents are working overtime or just disinterested. It's easy I think for someone to look at their own grandchild doing lots of activities anf getting lots of treats and enrichment and think "kids these days are so spoiled". There are still children having sleep for dinner. And that all feeds into why some children (including white boys) aren't fulfilling their potential in school.

Exactly. We're all different. There are good people and nasty people in every age group from teenagers upwards. For a poster to say ( as they did upthread) "I f*ing hate boomers" just shows their ignorance.

Interesting. Someone who claims to be v intelligent but watches GB news has had their post deleted. They claimed to not be a leftie.

But all the hate filled posts from people who hate the over 60s are allowed to stay. There are some vile ageist posts on here. Some vile left wing stuff.

It makes me wonder about mumsnet moderators.
I suppose this post will be deleted, for being truthful. If it is, I am going to complain about every vile post on here - including OP who wants to exert coercive control over her parents.

I disagreed with thst poster but cant understand why her post was removed?

I saw that post and while they made interesting and valid points they spoilt it at the end by making insulting remarks about the op and her parents. I find mnhq let various opinions stand but don't tolerate insults and slurs.

Yes, I'm assuming it's because the slurs were directed specifically at a poster, I've seen way worse insults and slurs towards different general groups allowed to stay.
But there's a difference between @Persephonia1966 is a stupid spoilt millennial. Versus millennials are stupid and spoilt.

The post personally attacked OP, which is why it will have been deleted. I agree though that some of the ageist posts should also be deleted. But possibly they have not all been reported.

I am an intelligent person.

Me too. That's why I can see the division and lies GBN peddle while calling it news.

People are entitled to watch the TV news channel they want just like they are entitled to buy and read the newspaper they want, or read their website. We are going down a dangerous path if we allow someone to choose what the "correct news" is.

Yes. I agree and this is exactly what is happening with the Far Left.

😂😂😂

How so? Who do you consider to be the 'Far Left'? Which politicians or others in the public eye do you consider part of this group? Who are they encouraging people to hate? And what evidence is there that intelligent people are falling for it? How is this manifesting?