Age-Specific Boards - any interest?

[Cooroo]

I'd love a space within MN where I could chat with other people in their 50s. Would 'decade' boards - or do I mean threads? - serve any purpose? Obviously anyone can post anywhere but that would be the focus. Not just menopause, but the whole experience of coming from the same time, of shared things such as kids growing up, parents dying ... Probably lots of good reasons not to do this but for me it would be great.

[Cooroo]

Anticipating replies, I've been off and checked out chat sites for older people. It is dire. Empty. Quiet. No lively chat. Now I know why I love MN.

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

I don't like this idea, if I'm honest. I think one of the benefits of MN is that you get a wide range of opinions, from people of different ages and circumstances. Whilst I could go and post in an "over 50" board, I'd feel rather out of place.

There was a long thread about this before Christmas, and I think MN said they'd listen if people were interested but most people weren't in favour. It might be worth digging it out, though.

I do think there's probably too many sections as it is, though. Most people either use Active Conversations so sections don't matter, or use the high traffic boards (Chat, AIBU, 30 Days Only etc) for everything.

Interested to hear what others think, though.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I'm not sure I like it either. I'm 51, in RL my close friends vary from 40 - 62. They tend to be the same stage of life, mainly they have same age kids as mine and going through the same things at the same time. I'd have a lot more in common with my 40 year old friends quite frankly, than 50+ year olds with all university aged dc for example. I just don't think I'd use a board age specific, very often if at all.

[SoupDragon]

Good lord no. I couldn't give a stuff how old people are.

Kids growing up and parents dying are all things that aren't dependent on your own age.

[SoupDragon]

It is dire. Empty. Quiet. No lively chat. Now I know why I love MN.

Don't you think thats to do with the diverse range of posters on MN?

[MrsJayy]

What would a 50yr old chat about that a 40yr old couldnt the ages of posters are irrelevant as imo to general chat and there is far to many topics as it is

[roundandroundthehouses]

I wouldn't go for decade boards. When I'm in need of 'time-specific' advice on MN, it's almost always to do with a stage rather than age. People are doing things like looking after elderly parents, bringing up teenagers, going to college, etc. at a huge variety of ages, and it's useful to see the range of life experience on those subjects.

The only age-specific exceptions I can think of would be the issues faced by very young/much older than average parents... possibly menopause, although that also varies in age... and nostalgia threads with people remembering the 80s or whatever. And I think that's already catered for in specific topics or threads.

[roundandroundthehouses]

It could actually make things worse for those of us who've been dealing with those issues at non-standard ages. For example, I've been caring for my elderly mother since I was in my early 30s. It's been very difficult, with young children at the same time. Currently I can find lots of great advice on the Elderly Parents board, and I have no idea how old the other posters are. I know that the Elderly Parents board would still stay - but some of the advice that might have been there would end up in the over-50s topic. Obviously anybody could still get to it, but when I was younger and feeling fragile about my situation, having to go through an 'over-50s gateway' would just have emphasised the whole thing IYSWIM.

[Cooroo]

OK, you've all convinced me. I absolutely agree I love the diversity on MN. I think my feeling was there might be a core group who I'd get to know better - I rarely remember who's who and never recognise 'famous' posters, but I suppose the relative anonymity is a strength of MN too. I'll shut up now, you're all right!

[MrsJayy]

Some 50yr olds have 10yr old DC so would they use an over 50 board

[MrsJayy]

You could start a get to know you type thread or dive into an interest thread get to know poster that way

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I can understand why you think it would be a good idea, I just think that people wouldn't use it though. Regular topics like teenagers, menopause, elderly parents, exist anyway, and tend not to be age specific. You can post in style and beauty about age related products etc.

You could start a thread in chat for those in their 50's to post and see if it could be long running, but as pp said, there was a long thread before Christmas so maybe that's done for now.