to ask about the net effect Mumsnet has on your mental health/mood?

[ClockWatchingLady]

On a scale of 1-10.

1 = makes me more miserable (e.g., I'm addicted; it takes up time I could spend on RL friends; breeds envy, etc.)

5 = doesn't really have an effect in either direction, or effects are equally balanced positive and negative

10 = massively enhances my experience of life (e.g., alleviates loneliness, broadens my perspective, gives sense of community, etc.).

Obviously the reasons will vary widely. But what's your number?

I'd say 7.

I forgot the number- idiot. I'm a firm 5.

I think I'd say for me it balances out to about a 6. I enjoy it, but I do find it hard to step away, as there is always the possibility that the moment you switch off the computer someone will come along with the most fascinating thread ever!

Really interesting thread. My score varies wildly.

1. When I read stuff that makes me feel very inadequate as a parent/wife/person (that's mor about me than other posters!) there can be quite a lot of perfectionism on MN... About everything. I think I'm doing OK to just muddle through most things but then I read S&B or relationships and feel I'm not doing anything right at all.

1. When I read about newborns/toddlers/sleep and feel sorry for the posters but also bloody glad I'm past that stage.

10. When someone's nice about a post I've made.

10. When someone's nice about a post I've made.

I like your post, Dolly

1 and 8.

you have allocated 'addicted' to the negative side but I am also very happy with it here and get a lot out of it.

Ooh clock thank you thank you.

Generally about a 7 but sometimes as low as 1 or 2. For example when I had PND after the birth of my DS, I don't think I was helped by reading posts about how long and how badly other people suffered. I might have been more upbeat about my own recovery if I hadn't known that. I suppose in some ways ignorance is bliss!
The same applies to other area of bringing up a child. There are a whole plethora of things I wouldn't have thought of worrying about without having read about them on Mumsnet.
In general though I find the information about how other people live their lives fascinating and have learnt alot through reading it.

Net = 5, but plenty of 1-2s.

I'm new on MN and became instantly addicted... which is a problem. I can still get away with constant checking at work this week as there is nothing going on but from next week it's all systems go for the new year and I will have to stop. So from that perspective it's a 1. However I love it when I can really connect to other people on a thread, maybe give or get some useful advice. From that perspective it's a 7.

It varies for me too, I do spend too much time on here, and some of the threads are depressing, make me question things about my own life and not always in a good way.

On the other hand, I have made real friends out of it, love the support and generosity shown by so many and have learnt so much it's quite unbelievable. Style and beauty, special needs, holidays, pet care, health, housework, education, it's all there. Plus I love to chat about random trivia.

Overall 7.

About a 5.

I namechange every week or so because I get so involved.

MN can be the funniest place on the internet, but also the most depressing. It's heartbreaking to hear what some women have to put up with from their partners, and how trapped they feel.

I don't know about a 'man-hating' bias, as another poster said - what I do know is that MN is one of the very few places that tells the truth.

I think about a 6 for me, with the good company and everything I've learnt through being here balancing out with the slight addiction and time wastingness of things. Possibly I ought to give a 5 or even 4 due to those factors. But I don't want to.
< stamps foot petulantly >

Hmmm - am actually taking a bit of a break from mn (yes, I do do irony). Am only an observer and only on the less serious threads but I was becoming aware that I am allowing these threads to affect my choices too much. My New Year's Resolution this year is to be myself and not someone else's idea of myself. I want to be me again. Do still wander back from time to time but definitely less and less. Does any of this make sense?

And at least my keyboard skills have improved -
Actually I like to think I've learnt a lot here, including hopefully some skills and attitudes that are transferable to RL

Interesting SpoiltButGrateful - I think MN has helped me find my voice though - to find a persona that is fairly authentic for me, if not the only possible one.

I do try to post as I feel at that moment/on that thread and not to worry unduly about the effect on those with detailed spreadsheets better memories than me. I hope it would all make some sort of sense/ have it's own integrity if anyone was to read/remember it all!

I'd say I'm about a seven.

I never post anything that is too personal or likely to affect anyone I know so I don't need to worry that I'm going to get a shovel load of scorn poured over me.

I find it's given me a greater sense of what others have to deal with in life and could hopefully use it in rl situations should that issue ever come up.

There's always a twat who relishes the chance to be a cunt but they're a minority who spoil it.

I particularly like the lighter more frothy posts; what's for tea, what is your favourite face cream ,yeah frothy and fun

7 here.

I sometimes wonder if the time i spend here is worth while, then i remember the personal support i received on the antenatal tests/choices board a couple of years ago. Literally sanity saving.

I remember how much wiser i am about self esteem and human nature from the Relationships board. My own threads and others. How MN has actually changed my views on many topics. I think of all the info i have gathered randomly on Chat and AIBU. I think of all the debate i have enjoyed reading and joining in with re: current affairs.

I think of how many many many ! times i have read something here on MN and thought - it's NOT just me then. Sporn for one

It depends on the day. Some days everything washes over me and I remain unaffected by what is written other days it irritates the holy hell out of me (like today )

On most days I find something interesting or amusing to read.

6, maybe 7. It makes me laugh & I learn things.

On a general day I look to Chat, AIBU , Relationships and recently Employment [ due to work enquiries]

There's been a few threads on teens that have saved a lot of tension with ds1.

< who invented Kavos for teen holidays >

8, it really makes me laugh. I just avoid sad things, but occasionally get sucked into political stuff which winds me up and drops the score!

mostly I find it entertaining
there's a lot of stuff on here which I find uninteresting or irritating, thats the stuff I dont continue reading.

There's a wide variety you can pick and choose whatever takes your fancy.
I try not to take it too seriously, most I consider it banter, and I take what people say with a pinch of salt because we all like to put our own spin on things so as to appear in a good light

Threads on political stuff piss me off and I find it really hard not to read them. There's also a lot of attacking other posters and some people seem to take things horribly seriously and can be very venomous. I also agree with a pp that it can make me question my judgement in a way that I didn't previously, this can sometimes be positive: I've learnt a lot about different disabilities and not to judge on face value. But can often be negative: whether I am good enough or making the right choices.

On the other hand it can be absolutely hilarious and very informative. I've received some excellent info on here and bought a lot of stuff I didn't need because of mn

Hmmm. Interesting question. I recently stepped away from Mumsnet for a while, because I found it was having a negative effect on me. I've found I have to be a bit selective about the boards or threads that I look at, or I find myself getting depressed/stressed about all the awful things that are going on. That would make me a one or a two.

That said, when I was a new Mum, it was massively useful for me and helped me feel less isolated. So a seven or eight on those occasions.