PocketRocket

We've always had odd balls, arseholes, pointlessly angry people, racists, homophobes, all varieties of people out on the fringe of generally acceptable behaviours. Modern technology has allowed them to find community and sort of glob together much easier, be much louder and more visible, spread their particular brand of thought.

Just my musings anyway. They were always there, the regular people were just more numerous and those on the fringe couldn't find each other so easily.

They walk amongst us.

If memory serves (being knowledge I gleaned from a podcast). He's a YouTuber that has carved out a popular niche in philanthropy of sorts. All for views of course, but some philanthropy none the less. Very popular I think with, I want to say Gen Alpha aged kids. A lot of people have imitated the content style in the last few years. So I guess there is instant brand recognition and trust there for a lot of people.

Oh boy. This is all moving very quickly. People already fall for simple SMS scams, I can only imagine just how many more will be falling victim to this trash in months/years to come.

In the cryptic shadows of the digital night, my estranged cousin's descent into conspiracy theories knew no bounds. His online presence had transformed into a sinister tapestry of paranoia, a web that ensnared all who dared to peer into its depths. No longer was he content with one obsession; he had become a general conspiracy theorist, weaving a tangled web of dark narratives that stretched from secret societies to extraterrestrial encounters.

Each day brought forth a new revelation, a fresh twist in his convoluted worldview. I watched in morbid fascination as he delved deeper into the abyss, uncovering connections that existed only in the recesses of his fevered mind. The ancient Illuminati, shadowy government agencies, and alien overlords all played their malevolent roles in his ever-evolving narrative.

As the days turned into weeks, I found myself ensnared in his digital web, unable to escape the relentless onslaught of misinformation and paranoia. The line between reality and fantasy had blurred beyond recognition. I was trapped in a waking nightmare, a prisoner of his delusions.

It was with a heavy heart and trembling fingers that I finally took the drastic step of blocking him, severing the cursed link that had drawn me into his abyss. In that moment, I felt a mixture of relief and regret, like a ghostly presence had been banished from my online life. I was free from his relentless onslaught of conspiracy, but I also mourned the loss of a connection that, however twisted, had once tied me to family.

The digital gothic horror had reached its climax, leaving me with a lingering sense of unease. I was thankful for the reprieve, for the ability to navigate the online world without fear of his spectral presence. Yet, in the depths of my soul, I couldn't help but wonder if I had abandoned him to the shadows, leaving him to descend even further into the abyss of his own making. The haunting question remained: had I saved myself from the darkness, or had I condemned him to a solitary existence in the digital netherworld?

I don't know whether they're trying to stir outrage to keep their narrative in the public sphere, or realistically attempting to solicit new members from the general public at a shopping mall. Either way it's moronic and wrong.

Good point.

Yeah I'm not a huge fan of lumping everyone in the same bucket just because they all happened to have been born within the same lines on a map.

I'm sure there are some goose stepping citizens, some who hate the leadership with a passion and those who just want to get on with their lives and pay their bills.

Sadly armed resistance isn't an easy thing to effectively get off the ground, especially in an authoritarian nation today. So the fact that there isn't some wildly ambitious revolution ongoing, isn't an indication that every resident is in agreement with the decisions their self appointed leaders are making.

Love this series. Very episodic, self contained but also with the contuation of character arcs and themes over novels. Good pick.

I appreciate you taking the time to share it. I'm committed to sticking with it as best I can.

I'm still awaiting a diagnosis, being middle aged and having been unmedicated my entire life. It only really dawned on me, despite the suggestion years back by my spouse, that I was perhaps undiagnosed.

Hearing anecdotal accounts like yours, and those I had in years gone from people successfully medicated, really inspire some hope in me.

Any way to read this without being a subscriber?

This one took a little longer than expected.