The Black Vault

I was recently contemplating the negative effects on young people that terrifying theories and scenarios of mass de-population/mental manipulation by unseen forces/abductions/and the rest of these edgy ideas might have.

Is it really healthy to put children in an environment of very wild and often extremely scary speculations and claims? Sure, some would shrug it off or treat it as a game but all children are not the same.

What about kids who become convinced of the truth of these ideas, who are harmed mentally and emotionally by the implications of such things? How does a child stand up against a cold and terrible perceived truth such as humans being slaves and cattle to elites/aliens ect. when those worldviews can break even adults who pursue them too long?

Do the conspiracy theorists, whatever brand they prefer, stop to think of the consequences of their theories on those who might genuinely believe? What if a young boy or girl committed suicide to escape from the nightmarish ideas they believe?

As a parent, I can tell you that my son is exposed to these things all the time. I cannot block every possible word or string of words to prevent my son from finding these sites. At the same time I cannot control what others, and neither can site administrators, say in comment sections on youtube videos and the like. Theories are everywhere, like opinions. I don't talk much about the things I read although he sometimes hears things my wife and I discuss. He's got some mixed and conflicting beliefs and most of them stem from things he read online.

If he talks to me about these things, I try to be objectionable and listen. I also try to explain my beliefs on the subject. At the end of the day, his beliefs have to be his own, whether I agree with them or not. I do, however, worry about some of the subject matter he's exposed to. Yet, if I tell him not to visit those sites or read about that subject, that's exactly what he's going to do. Now, if only I could use that logic to get him to do his homework.

No, I don't encourage my son to come here.

En-Lugal wrote:If he talks to me about these things, I try to be objectionable and listen.

That's a little harsh. Wouldn't you rather be objective?

Many conspiracy theories have no merit, some have basis in fact but the end result is unfounded. It is a case of media attention to such theories and financial gain, by unscrupulous individuals or groups.

Some may believe their connections that they have made, and hence created a conspiracy, but rarely do these conspiracy theorists think of the consequences of their action, outside their own frame of experience.

at1with0 wrote:

En-Lugal wrote:If he talks to me about these things, I try to be objectionable and listen.

That's a little harsh. Wouldn't you rather be objective?

Don't make me smack you.

I thought it an interesting Freudian slip, as it were.

This poor, upcoming generation is fooked from every angle..what they will do with that fact remains to be seen

I'm wondering just as a for instance what the ramifications to a young, impressionable person listening to some conspiracy theorist say that the US government is behind the 9/11 attacks.

Exactly. Could sites like this be fostering homegrown terrorism?

Probably no more than Dungeons and Dragons fosters criminal behavior. But hey, who knows?