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.

Probably an 8, if not higher.

I've learned so much just from clicking on threads: adoption, special needs, relationships, stately homes, home ed, geeky stuff, weather, etc. A whole load of complicated, and sometimes distressing, stuff that I don't think I would have learned from anywhere else.

It would have to be a 7 - want to put higher - and times it has been. It has helped my mental health a lot, stopped me being so judgy (I can feel my MN pants hoiking up when I start which just makes me grin so I drop the judgy bit). It has provided loads of information on such an diverse range of things - from a big house renovation project to soup recipes and parenting books.

It is full of people who can (mostly) sepll propper and do gramma like - which is heaven compared to some places do not get me started on some of the diabolic posts on FB.There is no txtspk. Thank fuck.

Oh and I can swear. Thank fuck.
And sometimes it is pant-wettingly funny.

Cannot put higher than the 7 though as there are some downsides. The time factor can be an issue as PPs have said. But also I have been attacked/flamed really nastily once on an thread - and seen it happen to others. Discussion, argument fine. But the nastiness of some posters still horrifies me and makes me wary of exposing myself by starting a thread about anything vaguely contraversial.

Really interesting to read all these

Around 8.
For every agressive poster there will be 2 or 3 warm and kind ones and i am one of those people who see more the good.

And i learn something new every day here either something practical or a different way to look at something.

Oh I have had some amazing experiences because of MN don't want to out but I had an amazing MNetter do something so lovely for me.

I also have had loads of support and a kick up the bum when I have needed it, and also I would like to think I have supported and done lovely things to.

But jheeze I waste so much time on here. I spend most of my spare time on here some days when I don't have anything else on.

So because of my own ability to regulate I will say 6.

I don't think MN itself even touches my MH. I have had hard times and probably posted differently. There have been stories that have touched me deeply, campaigns eg Woolly Hugs that I have got involved with. There have been trolls and laughs and much sage advice in between. I have made some very good friends in Belgium and UK via MN. I love it. But it is words on a screen - it does not make me feel better or worse in general. It is the internet. If that is having a bad affect on how you feel about life in general then you should be stepping away. I would say exactly the same about FB - it is as good or as bad as the people you choose to be friends with,

For me it ranges between 6-8. Of course I've come across negativity but I get that in rl too. I think the majority on here are genuinely helpful and supportive

I think it depends on my own state of mind at the time. If I'm 'up' I can be enjoying MN and can easily deal with or ignore anything horrible or negative. If I'm 'down' and things in my life are getting to me, it can be the opposite and I'll need to step away. However, I have had the help of some lovely, supportive people on here during some of my worst times.

It's a mixed bag, full of so many different people and opinions.

I often wonder why I come here - entertainment, I think, timewasting...but I'm a 1 or a 2. I see a side to human nature that makes me feel very depressed, people kicking each other when they're down, being sarky, judgemental, holier than thou....I also realise how different my views are from the majority when I read MN too much and it makes me feel very alone.

For some reason, I still read it.

5 - I can take it or leave it tbh.

I have to say 2 because I'm addicted and I feel guilty and annoyed with myself for the the amount of time I spend on here. It takes me away from things I need to do, things I want to do, and most depressing of all, I find myself sitting doing it when I should be interacting with my kids, and I really hate myself for that.

I have concluded 2 rather than 1 because I have gleaned some useful stuff and derived an awful lot of entertainment, and because I love my gardening buddies on our chat thread in Gardening - I do consider that a valuable use of my time and if I could wean myself off AIBU and just live in Gardening then I would view my MN habit differently.

Portofino - another Belgian here!! Are you in Brussels?

I have received so much help and advise from strangers on mumsnet who have taken their time to do so. It really has helped me many times.

From issues with redundancy pay to maternity to prenatal tests to life changing illness.

Kindness towards strangers still exists.

I wish I could thank each one of them here.

8 for me. I've learnt so much about life in general, problems that i don't have to deal with yet but might one day. I have become a more tolerant person in the process.

8 I think.

When I have been very low I can simultaneously be on a thread analysing feelings of anxiety and tricks for stabilising my mood, and also talking elsewhere about Toys Of My Childhood, or the perfect insult, etc.

And I find that giving support or advice where I am able to so empowers and calms me too. It isn't a purely altruistic act.

Probably a 7 for me.

I have been on mumsnet for about 12 years and mumsnet helped me recognise, deal and recover from severe PND. I was always be grateful.
So a 10 for that.

but.....

Its got a lot bigger and I hate it sometimes the way innocent threads can be twisted and op turned on. This sometimes narks me and I have to step away from mumsnet for a few days/weeks and on occasions months, then reinvent and come back.....the lure of mumsnet is too great.

Generally makes me feel positive when I see some of the dribbling shite that people get bothered about, but then the same dribbling shite can also make me want to hit the screen which drags my average down - it's a 5 for me as it doesn't always meet my criteria for light entertainment...

For me its a love/hate relationship. I find it a good source of information for help with my ds, but I can't stand the cliquey-ness of it sometimes and some posters really do have a superiority complex.

Some threads are a bit car crash - like, ie you don't want to look but you can't help it and then it makes you feel so depressed for reading it. But like a pp said, it sometimes makes me grateful for what I have.

I'm not in it to make virtual friends, I already have a good online support group through a more specific site, and mn is so big that I often don't even look at posters names as there are just so many, it's quite impersonal at times.

I find it a little addictive and feel I have wasted away the precious hours my ds naps for on here rather than doing more productive things and projects I've always been meaning to do!

To sum up, I'll give it a 4!

Some of these posts are making me realise all sorts of benefits and problems I hadn't even really thought about. But all sound very true. I hadn't really considered the cliquey-ness, but I suppose it's there now I think about it. I do find it really depressing when people lay into an OP who seems to be in need - I couldn't believe it when I first saw that.
I suppose if you feel you have mastery over how you use the site it's much better than if you feel drawn to areas you sort of don't want to go to. I definitely would like to use MN more wisely (not get drawn into arguments, not use it when I should be doing other stuff), but still think my net number is 7 because of the warmth, support and varied perspectives you see/get.

5

5....it is bloody brilliant, entertaining, heartwarming and informative BUT I am seriously addicted and would be on here all day if I could which is not healthy!