Let me be clear: the conspiracies they’re getting sucked into are dangerous and often bizarre. But if we jump immediately to extremism as the cause, I think we’re missing the bigger story here.
People are scared. They don’t know how to navigate the Internet safely. They don’t know how to filter out bullshit. They start watching carefully crafted videos and well written blog posts that take the truth - twist it hard - and suck them right in to an alternate reality that is easier to understand.
They freak out. They think there is an existential threat working against them. They think their friends have been sucked into the “evil” side of the conspiracy.
It’s tragic, and I wish it was not like this. But often these people - especially family - need love and support, and a nudge in another direction. Will this work? Maybe not. But immediate labeling and then ostracizing these people entrenches their views, and feeds the “extremism”.
And there are real extremists. People who have been looking for an opportunity to act, and the current climate provides it. Let’s not mix Mom’s tendency to believe in conspiracies with real extremism.
And the bias of the censors doesn't make them seem any more trustworthy - if anything, it just reaffirms the conspiracy theories.