My parents have always been left-wing hippies and entertained the odd conspiracy theory, but during the pandemic they got lost down YouTube rabbit holes and bought into Q-Anon and anti-vax ideas. They still don’t believe Covid is real (even though they blatantly had it…).

We’ve just kind of agreed not to talk about it anymore, but they’ve steadily become more and more batshit and I think they believe I have been brainwashed.

Anyone else’s familial relationships changed forever?

  • Youngsie@feddit.uk
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    29
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    I frequently have to nodd and smile along to people trying to tell me an illness that hospitalised and almost killed my brother didn’t exist or was overreacted to . It’s easier than trying to change minds at this point.

    • Bakachu@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Hope your brother is doing better.

      That’s exactly the thing that frustrated me the most during the lockdowns. Lots of people trying to inject their FB doctoral studies into all their convos and any argument, however logical, won’t work on the type of mindset that rejects scientific evidence.

      Its infuriating to have to be the bigger person but I think thats the best way to go. I try to smile and make light of it when the crazy talk comes out. Maybe it helps a bit to allow people some room to change their minds if they can save face without an “I told you so crowd” waiting on them. Ive had some close coworkers who were covid-deniers come around when reality landed in their backyard and they had real people they loved and cared about affected.

      • Youngsie@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        His doing better thank you , annoyingly he refuses to get vaccinated which is why it was so bad. Not because he denied the severity of COVID he is just very afraid of injections and things entering his body that way. He was careful as could be otherwise but eventually it’s going to catch up with you.

        My dad has COPD and other conditions that made him endangered so when it first hit we isolated for six months I literally didn’t leave my house not even to the garden . thankfully he was fully vaccinated when he eventually got it and was relatively okay as a result.