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.

He’s in his 60s, firstly, and he’s slightly deaf because he used to use a chainsaw and power tools without hearing protection. I know a lot of people want to justify it but mentally they are absolutely fine. They’ve just become deeply unpleasant and I want to stop it and get my parents back.

My parents are going the same way. It is not surprising - it is propaganda doing what it is intended to do. It is easy to be taken in by it, particularly if your world has become quite small due to age and ill health.

I can see the temptation to block it from your parents’ tv but I couldn’t agree with that.

Who gets to decide which views are "correct" or "bigoted" or not? Isn't it better to push for higher standards of journalistic truth across the board rather than enforce what MIGHT be ideologically subjective?

I can't believe some posters don't understand that some of this at least is both ideological and subjective. I'm on the left, I don't watch GB news - but can you demonstrate for example where exactly they've been advocating killing lefties as claimed? Is any mention at all of immigration objectively racist or just some views? What else falls under "bigotry"?

No it isn’t. I lost both parents to dementia. Watching GB news and having political views I disagree with wasn’t a symptom. This is just ageism.

They sound awful op, don't think you can pin the blame on a news channel though.
Just change the subject and don't get so worked up about it. Maybe it's a famlial trait.

Saying the PM should be assassinated is worse, surely?

An “opinion” that the democratically elected PM should be assassinated is not one that should be tolerated.

OP I’m not sure I would block their TV channel but I’d certainly be calling them out on the more extreme comments of that nature.

To the posters defending this very concerning behavior: If a Muslim sat in front of the TV all day long watching terrorist propaganda and kept talking about killing white people or British politicians what would your reaction be? Would you still say the BBC is full of left wing propaganda which is just as bad so just leave this Muslim to it it’s no worse than watching the news in general? Of course you wouldn’t . This sounds extreme OP ,I would be very concerned. Hope you can come up with a solution.

Nothing wrong with my neck.
Apart from not tolerating bullshit such as racicsm amnd bigotry.
People just dont like being called on it.

My parents are the same albeit older. They're just making themselves angry. What a way to spend a comfortable retirement! My brother calls it pitchfork news.

I'm assuming this is somewhat tongue in cheek

If not, who the hell do you think you are?

They're advocating violence, even murder.
Are they also watching tiktok and YouTube?

This aspect I really do have empathy with, though, as my dad was exactly the same. He'd decided I was pretty much a communist (I'm not, but...) and had all sorts of spurious ideas about what I apparently thought and it was a constant source of tension in his final years. He'd always been a bit like it though (sometimes with completely different views) I refused to engage in any political discussion with him - which he kept trying to force and would constantly say outrageous things to try and rile me - because he didn't actually want to discuss anything, just rant at me why he was correct and I wasn't and was stupid.

Even though he had no idea by that point of my actual views. It was hiding more of a personal issue with me not being who he wanted me to be I think. An ego/control thing. But he also had hearing loss, and my mum has since said she wondered if he had the beginnings of dementia.

I still don't think that banning GB news (or the Daily Express) would have been the answer to that though.

Not tongue in cheek at all.

I am worried about them and I miss my rational, pleasant parents who weren’t filled with anger and hatred.

Maybe report to prevent op, say they've been radicalised by GB news?

No, thank god. They’re pretty anti-social media

I get you, I had to go through this too. But also, maybe don't automatically assume they are wrong, and you are right, even if it's a knee jerk reaction, which it all is, really. Just assume they have something worth saying and hear them out. Beg to differ if you will and have reason to back it. If you can reduce the heat, you can even enjoy an intellectual debate!

Mine have since calmed down, in large part since I have at the very least understood where they are coming from. We have met in the middle at times but still hold separate opinions. And that's just fine! It's good to have my mum back either way.

are you saying its ok to say to people "you are racist therefore I am allowed to control your telly"?

Of course you can't block their channel. That would be controlling.

I don't watch GB news because even though I agree with many of the more right wing views I know I will get wound up watching it. That's my choice though.

I get furious when I hear people talking about entitlement to benefits (yes I think they are scroungers) but I don't get to try and control them. I just have to put up with what I see as lazy people who are a burden to society. Your parents are entitled to watch what they want. Presumably they know how to turn the tv off or over so leave them be.

Some of us hate 'lefties' (me) and some of us hate right wing. Neither is wrong. We are supposed to live in a free speech, make your own mind up country.

I'm only a few years younger than your parents and I'd be furious if some young upstart was telling me what to do or how to think.

Presumably they're not too fond of your views and would like their daughter to be on the same page?

GB News is quite horrible, it has a facebook group which I see sometimes. I really do understand how you feel but don't think it would be right for you to block GB News on your parents' TV. They have the right to choose.

If you can, encourage them to watch, and show an interest in, other things and tell them you don't like the telly on all the time when you visit.

Don’t be so ridiculous! What are you going to say next? That the OP should take her parents to the GP and ask for them to be referred to a memory clinic sp they can have a memory assessment because she doesn’t like the opinions they have as a result of watching GB news and therefore thinks they might both be developing a dementia. 🙄

You seriously cannot believe GB news has brought about a personality change in both of them?
Get them checked by a gp for anxiety then just turn the telly over when visiting if they're ok mental wellbeing wise.

Obviously you can't block access to certain channels on their TV. However, you can stop visiting them so they don't have an audience for their extreme bigoted views.

Do they live in a very multi-cultural area? I would bet that they don't. My experience is that people who live in very white mono-cultural areas with very few face-to-face interactions with people of colour are the ones who believe all the right wing propoganda on channels like GB News and online.

Then miss them

Who they are now and what they think is up to them - however they arrived at those opinions

You are starting to epitomise the far-left's wish to control people's thoughts too.

So, no better.