Radicalisation of older people

[colinthedogfromaccounts]

My dad (late 70s) has gone full gangster conspiracy theorist. His long list of increasingly radical beliefs include:

Chemtrails control us
WHO created the pandemic
The EU is evil.
Big pharma is poisoning us (he has given up all his life saving meds)
Vaccinations are a control mechanism
Bill Gates is responsible for the weather
The Democrats wanted world war
Gaza is not real - it's all made up to persecute the Jews

The list goes on. My worry is that this radicalisation is putting his health at risk, so I would like to really understand the psychology to approach this with as much evidence as possible.

Sources are sketchy online (specifically relating to how and why older people become radicalised) - wondering if anybody has any research based insights into this.

Well this is nice.

Oh goody. On the day it is revealed that the UK is an absolute hotbed for it, up pops yet another ageist thread.
Slow handclap

My parents (late 70s) have suddenly become obsessed with all these exact theories in the last two years.

It's particularly bizarre since there's not even a common running theme among these theories- climate, to medicine

I'm not necessarily discounting their validity, but it is now all they talk about. I've always been a hippie/live an unconventional life and they never showed an interest before

I think it's too much Daily Mail

I could have written exactly the same thing for one of my uncles. I think the main cause is too much free time and lack of any hobbies.

You can't approach it with evidence. There's evidence (ha) that facts simply won't work when someone is so far gone.

'Radiclisation' becuase they dont think the way us young-ungs have decided they should is the way I read this

My mam is over 80
She is perfectly normal and rational

Unlike Many on here

My mum is the same. She was telling my dc some really racist things last time I saw her. No flu jabs etc. Completely at odds with the first 65 years of her life. It's depressing but also dangerous health wise. She's completely full of it. LOVES Katie Hopkins.

the patronising self obsessed young posting here!. If tyour parents belief in these theories does not affect you then let them get on with it. It's no worse than the beliefs of so many younger people and possibly has more basis in truth.
certainly the widespread belief in many that men can be women.
There are very few older people that have fallen for this guff.

Im not young. But racism will never be tolerated.

My DP's dad has turned in a similar way, notably since his wife died. He's taking all his info from GB news. He's sad so we don't push it too much but do stop conversations and jokingly tell him that other news is also available but don't know what to do. He wasn't like this a year ago.

This is true. The most successful counter-conspiracy tactics have come from AI, because it has access to the full details of the theories and is able to discuss them without blaming.

I don't know how they framed the questions. You could try asking ChatGPT something like "How should I persuade a conspiracy theorist that Bill Gates does not control the weather?"

You may have to try a few different approaches to your question, or maybe find one of the articles that reported on it to see if it tells you how they asked.

I'm really sorry your dad's given up his meds. This is so worrying.

the patronising self obsessed young posting here!. If tyour parents belief in these theories does not affect you then let them get on with it.

I don't think that's a normal thing to do, most people love their parents

I know of a handful of people (mostly men but not all) who are in their 20s 30s and 40s who also believe these conspiracy theories.

Not in my circle, friends of friends who I've met, but they definitely walk among us and they're not all elderly.

I'm mid 70s. I think Trump is an arsehole, Brexit was a mistake, Farrage is a manipulative fucker, chemical trails don't exist, big pharmacy is evil but are not trying to kill me and Gaza is one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

I'm radicalised, all right. I can see what Musk, Trump, badenoch at al are trying to do.

Old people are not a homogeneous group. We are individuals, even if you think we all look or think alike.

it's also more mainstream, look at the shite Trump was spouting

As do both of my 80 something parents!

Old people are not a homogeneous group. We are individuals, even if you think we all look or think alike.

Why do you think people don't realise this? We know the older you were the more likely you were to vote Brexit, now this does not mean every older person voted Brexit but a fair few did.

You and my parents in their 70s would agree with all of your post. It's FiL's suddenly switch which is odd. I don't put it down to age, just post his wife dying, his world becoming smaller, but it's sad.

I think it’s GB news….
unfortunately my dh watches it so not sure it’s linked to an age group

OP the research into conspiracy theorists in its infancy, but some does exist. It us not caused by a lack of intelligence. Once you believe one conspiracy theory, you are more likely to believe another. It can also be linked to being lonely and spending too much time online.

How you tackle it is getting people engaged in real life more with groups and hobbies.

The same for my parents, GB "News" has rotted their brains.