To wonder how representative MN is of real life...

[Oakenbeach]

Although there’s a huge range of posters on here, I get the impression it’s heavily skewed towards the professional middle classes.

There does seem to be an increasing number of posters who are unable to process that other versions of “normal” exist outside their very small circle.

Very much agree with this.

It is a strength of MN that you 'meet' people away from you usual endogamous circle.

Just like it is thoroughly positive that it is so well used by the (potentiallly) isolated (parents with hard-to-leave DC with additional needs, those with illnesses disabilities or any other factor why makes it hard to actually go out.

And yes, a reminder that MN is hot on those who can use standard English to do so - which came about to help the posters with additional difficulties such as those who need to use assistive tech, those with dyslexia and those for whom English is not a first language. It's basic consideration really

It's not representative at all for me. Half the stuff people come out with on here is never said in real life.

Except of course it is. Just by groups you don't necessarily mix with in RL

Agree that MN can broaden your outlook (assuming you are open to that)

@EdithWeston that's why I said "for me". I obviously can't speak for anyone else.

(And absolutely agree that MN broadens my outlook!)

I think MN is sometimes a more extreme version of real life. In real life, most people don’t share every thought in their head. MNers almost feel obliged to do so. For example, I doubt that if you referred to a 19 year-old as a girl in real life that a dozen people would be lining up to castigate you for not calling her a woman. On here they can’t stop themselves. Also, if I joined a conversation halfway through in real life, I’d a) assume the obvious points had been and b) catch up on what had already been said before putting my two penneth in. Here people happily begin posts with ‘haven’t read the whole thread but...’ before going on to make points made several times already and ask questions long since answered, just because they have to have their little say.

I’ll admit I’m middle class and we’re comfortably off. Kids in state school though and my job is crappy as I took too much of a gap and got out of my profession.
I think people who frequent online fora can have ‘issues’ that they don’t want to dyscuss with people irl, sometimes they may not have much family (me) or friends (not me) so it’s an outlet.

If I’m on chat or AIBU I generally think ... ok yeah I guess there’s a cross section here... then if I go on the education boards I come over all wtf who are these people. The conversations about what private school etc. which dominate are, by default, exclusive to 10% or so of the population and therefore representative of that group more than ‘the general public’. Similarly the style an beauty boards paint a picture in a way chat doesn’t. Hush is particular ‘look’ that I strongly associate with a certain demographic. Overall I think it is mainly still comfortably middle class users but obv that could be anywhere from 52% over - as for if that’s ‘real life’ or not it depends where you are

I mix within lots of groups and have come across and know lots of different demographics, races and ages. I'm happy that my family have had this experience.

I'm religious, I home educate, I had hg in two pregnancies, I'm overweight and fashion conscious and my child has sen. I am low income yet like quality items, I save and spend, I'm educated to degree level yet my mum bought an ex council house. One side of my family exclusively go to boarding school.

I was also a Christian married to a Muslim.
I mix with Muslims, Jews and Christians.
Mum's who work full time, part time or sahm. Some have 1 child, one I know has 7, a few have 4, 5 and 6 children. Married or partnered, divorced and single.

Some have cleaners, some are cleaners. One has an ironing lady even though she's low income, as the relief from not having to iron brings immeasurable pleasure to her life, (her words).

Some are vegan, some love animals, some are strict and some are liberal. One is even pagan, have to say don't associate with her anymore as she raised my religious hackles.

But I have always accepted other' right to live their lives in their way. If I do not like an aspect of their life, who cares if it does not affect me. If it does, then it just means they will be an acquaintance instead if a friend.

I like mumsnet for the mix and my real life for the mix.

The people who can't see outside their own small bubble, bring nothing to the discussion and I would prefer them to shut up. As even if it's not your experience or your life, either give advice or give an opinion but do not just say, well I've never seen it therefore it can't be true/it has never happened. Same for London centric and south east centric pps, how small is their world if they cannot imagine the whole of the UK, let alone the rest if the world??

I also do admit to mums netting and people who know me well, will hear me talk about mumsnet.

Mumsnet is interesting, varied and often has great advice.

That really intresting, flirtyg, I think the same too. I am concerned that we get to a point in the UK where everyone has to be the same and have the same view. Whereas I want us all to have personal freedom to be different whether that means home education or boarding school or state school or whatever our various differences are and that we remain a country which allows difference to flourish so I can wa\lk around teh hosue with nothing on and take the children to nudish beaches on holiday and others can totally cover up or whatever else those differences might be.

I feel MN allows us all to have an insight into other people's lives and is all the better for that as it is only by communicating with and listengint to people who are different that was can come to understand their point of view eveni f different from our own.

As a Remainer I do not like the way some fellow remainers criticise brexiteers even though we are each about half the country and similarly some brexiters are pretty rude about remainers. Instead we should all try to be kind to each other although learning about our lives can help. I remember a thread about what women earn and some hardly believing some women on here can earn £1000 a day - that is just hte sort of thread which can give others ambition and see what if not they but their daughters might achieve in due course and ditto learning how people live on just about nothing by gathering blackberries and stretching a sack of potatoes out over a long period.

Never? I say it quite often, especially at work. My most recent was a colleague wanting a lift for a long journey to a conference, but the detour to their house would have been an extra couple of hours for me. So the answer: 'that doesn't work for me - why don't you get a coach to XX city and I'll pick you up there'.

Grumpy that's slightly different, it's the 'no is a complete answer' version of 'that doesn't work for me' which I find bizarre, your examples sound assertive, yet pleasant 👍🏻