Perfect post Goredho, the vaccine thing is a good example. Many of us who are Gen Xers knew somebody who was affected directly or indirectly (family member or friend’s relative) by a disease for which there are now vaccines or treatments, whether it be polio or whatever.
If somebody around us brought up some insane conspiracy about a disease not existing or a vaccine not being about vaccination, somebody would usually tell them basically “shut the fuck up and go talk to your cousin or this or that person who had it in their family or whatever and they’ll set your dumbass straight” or something like “you know that cluster of graves in such-and-such cemetery, where several family members died within a year or two of each other? That was because of this disease or outbreak or whatever. Here’s the newspaper clippings about them dying.”
A lot do them probably wouldn’t be bothered to talk to the person being referenced or look at the family history or whatever because there was pressure applied and they felt foolish or at the very least, challenged head on. Now, they can come up with, or read some stupid notion, go online, and within minutes find dozens of people who will not only agree with them, but make them feel validated and encourage them to take things farther.
I swear, we need some kind of critical thinking class in high school, but the pushback would be insane.