Conspiracy theories and anti vax friends - how to handle this?

[NotAKaren]

Anyone else have friends or family who have gone done the conspiracy theories and anti vax rabbit hole. I am fed up of going in circles trying to reason with some of the claims about the virus being a scam and the NHS and government are in cahoots with Bill Gates who is trying to microchip us all through a vaccine and take over the world. I am open minded enough to listen to some of the theories and ideas, I accept that people are perfectly within their rights to not want a vaccine. However some of the stuff a usually sensible reasonable friend keeps sending me to prove her theories is starting to get to the point of being ridiculous now. I am worried for our friendship. Anyone have any ideas how to deal with this?

Everyone is entitled to think what they like. Just ignore. Or smile.

Or just say you think differently and agree to disagree. Who’s to say who is wrong and who is right. If we all thought the same, the world would be a very boring place.

Refuse to discuss it?
Anyone who kept sending me rubbish to prove bonkers theories would be asked to stop. Blocked if they carried on.
They can believe what they want. But they don’t get to try and force those views on others.

Smile, nod and move on does the trick for me. There’s no point in engaging with that type of “conversation@.

Agree to disagree and just ignore texts like that.

Just ignore and move on. Engaging is pointless and a waste of energy.

There's no point in engaging. They have an unshakeable conviction and their only motivation is to try to convince you to believe it too.

Theres no reasoning, when they believe in chips that will control our movements and record our conversations.
I got a load of abuse from somebody when he found out I was part of a vaccine trial.
I just ignored and blocked.
The more that refuse the sooner others get it.
Then we will see if they change their mind , when it may affect employment and travel.

It's is really difficult as we are otherwise very close and I really don't want to fall out. I really try to ignore but these days it is tricky because everything leads back to discussions about the virus. She has upset another friend by ranting about herd immunity and letting old people die so we can live freely when she knows this person is desperately worried about her DM in a care home. I get sent links to twitter posts and posts saying 'watch this it proves what this is what it is all about'. I sometimes almost get sucked in and start questioning my own sanity. She is a very sensible, intelligent usually reasonable person. I just don't know where to go with this.

You tell her you don’t want to discuss it. You don’t have to fall out. She needs to respect your request. If she can’t then I would limit contact.

Ask her who benefits from Bill Gates controlling pensioners sitting in armchairs in Somerset?

Point out that it would take twice as much time and eight times as much money at least to run/hide this conspiracy, just imagine HOW MANY people would have to be involved and NOT one, no one blurts out the truth.

Say think what you like we still can't go pub.

Say it has been proven (before pandemic) that if "facts" arose emotions in you at first, particularly strong emotions it's advised to stop and pause, consider why emotions are risen and notice the manipulation. If she is usually intelligent perhaps she might understand this.

Persuade her to seek out certified data rather than Facebook memes.

Who benefits? Who benefits from that? Keep asking her this.

If she doesn't give a shit about other people being genuinely worried about their own parents, then I'd tell her to back off and find some bloody empathy.

This is about more than concerns about a vaccine.

It's about decency.

I’ve got a friend who’s the same, I just try to avoid all topics of virus/vaccination etc