Has this place become even more batshit than ever recently?

[TheLongpigs]

I know places change and there are seasons, but having read the bitchy, judgey, snobby and entitled replies on curtains and cruises in the last 24 hours, I wonder what's going on.

There's no humour behind these posts - just blatant nastiness. People increasingly seem to revel in saying things they'd never ever utter in real life.

Even as I write this I'm aware that there are thoughtful, hilarious, supportive and intelligent corners of MN, but it's hit and miss finding them these days.

I don’t even think it’s just the internet. Since lockdowns people have got ruder generally. That extra carries over online with the anonymity that means people are often far less mannered online than they would be in person.

Honestly, that curtain thread, it’s enough to make you never want to invite anyone new to your house again. All that judgement over a couple of inoffensive pieces of cloth. 🤷‍♀️

In the past couple of weeks I've noticed terrible responses to threads that have been started in the middle of the night.

I’ve seen a few slightly scary responses on here lately. I think, wow these people are actually walking around out there. I wonder what they’re like in real life….

There certainly are some very mean, unpleasant posters. I hope their lives aren't as horrible.

Ive said it before on here, its always the first answer in a thread thats the most arseholey. Its like some sad bastards sit in their room with an alert set up on mn for each new thread thats posted and the saddos get in with an arsey comment straight away.

Its like the black Friday thread just now. Mn set it up to help folk and hopefully they'll get something out of it too. The first response was criticising mn for doing this. They must want to post'will you just fuck off eedgit' but theyd need to delete themselves

That curtain thread was just awash with uncalled for nastiness and yes it does seem to be becoming more prevalent. I cannot understand the need for the level of unnecessary nastiness about at the moment, what does it achieve? Did it make those being horrible towards the OP on the curtain thread feel good about themselves, if so what awful people they must be.

Also so many trolls! I was following a thread about someone whose 'DD' was in hospital with sepsis. Turns out it was a troll.

I read that thread. God that's awful.

There was a really nasty uncalled for remark on a very ordinary thread this afternoon. I reported it, and it was taken straight down, but the OP had already seen it. There's some right idiots around at the moment.

This.
I have noticed it too, I have friends that seem to argue that black is white rather than agree with you. People have become less friendly.

I have noticed it on MN, I have seen a few threads where someone’s asked for advice only to be thrown a load of hate and abuse.

It's since COVID. 3 years of lockdowns, isolation, massive money loss, massive inflation, wars, terror attacks, endless doom news relentlessly being ramped up basically from "the world is on fire" to "the world will be under water" to "AI will take all our jobs"..blah blah blah

In real life people have stopped being as light-hearted and jovial as we were.

I really hope it's just a phase we're passing through

@Mamato29192 it says that the poster is a previously banned troll, so MN don't believe the thread is genuine. I must admit while I didn't post on it, I was following it and believed it to be true.

Agree. A lot of posts are just really angry and extreme.

The one about the bolognaise where someone suggested calling child protection. 🙄

I agree with this. It then often sets the tone for what's to come.

I really hope it's just a phase. Relative to the rest of time and most of the rest of the world, we are nearly all of us living incredibly privileged lives.

It made me very nearly delete Mumsnet.

I work in a call centre type role. We aren’t selling things and people don’t call us to complain - in fact they call us for help and advice on our products and it’s a free service if you buy our materials but we’ve all noticed people are much more rude, impatient and can be downright nasty since lockdown.

We get spoken to like dirt at times, especially the women in the team and men and woman are equally rude and obnoxious. It seems that it’s just acceptable to be rude and and sarky nowadays.

I don’t think it’s any nastier than it ever was, in the twelve years or so I’ve been around.

What I do notice is it being far more obvious that it’s populated by an unusually high proportion of posters who really struggle with friendships, collegial relationships, and normal communication in general, and who seem to lurch between craven people-pleasing and complete cutting off of contact with people.

It makes me want to suggest a sticky that says JUST USE YOUR WORDS on top of threads.

I'm like...
What curtain thread?
And do you have a link because I want to get outraged.

Maybe "outraged" might become a known addiction ... ?

What is this 'curtain thread' of which you speak?! Please direct me as my interest has been well and truly piqued! 😂

If you don't think it's become nastier over the last 12 years, what evidence do you have of the changes in people you note? I agree with you, but that (to me) is evidenced by the nastier behaviour.