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?
My Dad died in 2005, he was in his 60s. He was very intelligent and during my childhood he was open minded. Toward the end of his life he changed. He started listening to Rush Limbaugh and regurgitating those talking points. I always wonder how far he would have gone had he lived. Would he have supported Trump? Would he have been anti vax?
My dad was very similar, though conservative, and while not open minded he was an excellent critical thinker.
He, too, listened to all the right wingers and I’ve often wondered if he was still alive would he have been a Trumper.
It’s all so weird but hearing of similar stories like yours gives me a bit of solace.