How can you talk to your relative whose been taken in by conspiracy theories this festive period?

With lots of talk of Christmas - and Thanksgiving - I’ve received dozens of messages asking for advice.

Here’s some tips - and a thread! https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-54738471

It may be that they believe coronavirus conspiracy theories - that the pandemic is linked to 5G and a vaccine could be used to microchip you.

Or they’re into QAnon, obsessed with baseless claims of child-trafficking and the unsubstantiated idea the US election was rigged.

First of all, try not to cut the person off.

Address the issue as soon as possible - but do it with empathy.

Many of us are feeling very anxious about the pandemic, and conspiracy theories give simple, satisfying answers to a problem that seems overwhelmingly complex.

Try to try to get to the bottom of their legitimate concerns and to find out how they are feeling.

That can often be what caused them to turn to conspiracy theories!

I always stress that there is a big difference between totally normal worries and sinister conspiracies.

Another tip is to try to figure out where the person is getting their information.

Are they quoting a fringe YouTube video (which may have been fact-checked and debunked), or people in the echo chamber of a conspiracy-minded Facebook group?

Present facts and evidence neutrally. But sometimes those alone are not enough.

Rational questions can provoke reflection, and critical thinking.

Ask why someone would want to do this? And how would they even pull it off?

I often find that the most effective method.

Depending on how wedded they are to conspiracies, this can be a long process.

And if they’re far down the rabbit hole this might be something to tackle before Christmas or thanksgiving.

Always best to nip it in the bud as soon as possible!

Unfortunately, some people are so entranced by these fictions that that they lose their grip on reality - and it may be too hard to tackle.

This tends to work for those only starting down the path.

In that situation - may be best to change the topic!

If you’re worried about this ahead of Christmas - get in touch and hopefully I can help!

Email or DM

The replies and abuse in response to this tweet alone are enough to demonstrate why conversations tackling conspiracy theories might be very important this festive period for lots of families!

Apologies - who’s rather than whose!

My brain is too full of reporting on conspiracy theories to do grammar these days.