[miami_fan]

Finally got my first experience with political misinformation and a angry parent who believed it. OMG!

My mom has been mentioning for a couple of months now about government talk about certain Social Security recipients were going to be receiving a $2,000 stimulus check. She also said that there was a separate discussion about disabled vets also getting a $2000 check. Now I know Mom is slowly declining and is less discerning with her sources nowadays so I took with several pillars of salt when she said and then confirmed that there is no such plans to do so at least under the current administration. But she continued to mention it every other day or so. For me, it was harmless. Every so often she would say that it had been delayed for whatever reason but it had definitely was coming. It did not require her to do anything or provide any PII so no big deal.

Yesterday, she mentioned it again and I had time so I sat down to view the YouTube video that was discussing the proposed stimulus. A two hour video of nonstop word salads with stock photos of various politicians edited in with flashing texts like BREAKING NEWS and $2000 CHECKS FOR SSI among other things on the screen. It looked like a real news story but if you paid attention they never gave a single concrete detail. So while I watched for about ten minutes, I did a quick google and saw all the stories about no such program and no legislation providing for $2000 checks coming out before the holidays. I told my mother about what my quick research showed. You would have thought I spit in her face and called it rain. She was absolutely positive that the legislation had passed and the check would be coming before the end of the year. We finally agreed to wait until December 31st to see if the check arrives.

Everything has been after good between us ever since. I understand she is fighting to remain informed and aware of what is going on in the world. I also know while she is not struggling for money in any way, anything offering a free $2000 is worth believing in. Finally, I understand how someone of any age might be convinced by the production and presentation of the piece of video that I saw. But DAMN! That whole misinformation shit is not this cute little ha ha situation some make it out to be.