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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think some of the more extreme threads on here should be removed

58 replies

Carbosug · 01/04/2020 11:20

I started reading a couple of threads yesterday and had to stop because the tone was so 'doomsday, there's no hope, we're all going to die'.

I do understand that for those suffering from anxiety this must be an incredibly difficult time. But creating threads that totally exaggerate the dangers or stray into dystopian scenarios is not going to help anyone else's anxiety levels.

AIBU to wish Mnhq would kindly but speedily remove some of these threads.

By the way I thought I had posted on this earlier but can't find the thread so apologies if this is a duplicate.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 01/04/2020 11:23

We are grown ups. We don’t need MNHQ to decide what we read or don’t read on here. We do that ourselves. Hide the topic or don’t open the threads.
But if you think a thread breaks Talk Guidelines then report.

TestBank · 01/04/2020 11:25

Ironically of course the threads saying the virus was going to reach the uk and we better start preparing were called scaremongering
One person's scaremongering is another person's accurate prediction of forthcoming events
I haven't read any saying we are all going to die. We are all/most going to catch it is not the same thing.

Mrsjayy · 01/04/2020 11:26

You will need to report them mumsnet isn't here to manage anxiety yes some people are posting doom but we are responsible for ourselves, this is a chat forum yabu to expect mumsnet to moderate posts.

Cohle · 01/04/2020 11:28

Lots of different topics are potentially triggering or upsetting for others though.

Should people be banned about discussing miscarriage, cancer, dementia etc etc?

BigChocFrenzy · 01/04/2020 11:28

YABU

I think people should manage their own anxiety and if need be take a break from MN

... rather than trying to censor other people

Sparklingbrook · 01/04/2020 11:28

I used to hide anything involving trans stuff which at one point seemed to be every thread. This is the same.

Cheeryandmerry · 01/04/2020 11:29

I’m not bothered although I’d probably swerve any that have random CAPITALS in the heading.

BigChocFrenzy · 01/04/2020 11:29

It's better to correct fake "facts" when we see them,

rather than censor everybody

InTheSummerhouse · 01/04/2020 11:29

Remove those opinions from MN, and the news, and the internet, and books and then "silence" the people who are saying whatever it is they "shouldn't". We know where this leads OP - and it isn't pretty.

And I see it is you who have decided that these threads are dangerous. Maybe I should decide that your thread is dangerous as it threatens Freedom od Speech - and so delete it. And then maybe someone can silence me because what I have said is unacceptable. You see where this leads?

Sparklingbrook · 01/04/2020 11:30

Yes what’s with all the CAPITALS? That should be against Talk Guidelines. Grin

JustStayAtHome · 01/04/2020 11:31

YABU

Mrsjayy · 01/04/2020 11:35

I avoid every thread with NOW! In the title it really isn't needed.

Cheeryandmerry · 01/04/2020 11:47

NOW! is probably the equivalent of the “AND GO!” that caused me to leave a few exercise related Facebook groups.

“Can anyone recommend a pair of bike shoes, not too pricey, preferably pink with a black stripe, size 40? And go....”

No....you go google Smile.

goldpartyhat · 01/04/2020 12:19

I've just reported one for just this reason. upsetting people with inaccurate information is not on as far as I'm concerned. Reasonable discussion ok, but some are ridiculous.

Butchyrestingface · 01/04/2020 12:35

But creating threads that totally exaggerate the dangers or stray into dystopian scenarios is not going to help anyone else's anxiety levels.

My anxiety levels are just fine. Smile

If they weren't, I'd avoid threads with obvious give-away titles such as 'AIBU THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE'. Physician, heal thyself.

Original poster
Carbosug · 01/04/2020 12:39

That's what I mean Gold.
There was one in particular yesterday that would have terrified anyone who was already seriously anxious. Full of fantastical stuff that just isn't going to happen. I just don't think it's helpful to have that kind of stuff being posted anywhere and everywhere.

OP posts:
Original poster
Carbosug · 01/04/2020 12:40

The don't all have obvious titles.

OP posts:
Butchyrestingface · 01/04/2020 12:42

The don't all have obvious titles.

Most do. I would stay off AIBU altogether if my anxiety was likely to spike at the possibility of opening a doomsday thread.

Somewhere nice and safe (she says) like the books or films threads.

Cohle · 01/04/2020 12:51

There was one in particular yesterday that would have terrified anyone who was already seriously anxious. Full of fantastical stuff that just isn't going to happen.

In January I would have told someone who thought the entire country would be lockdown by March a hysterical idiot....

If people have very serious anxiety then, kindly, they probably need to pretty careful about the media they are consuming at the moment. It's just not reasonable to expect others to be relentlessly optimistic about the current global pandemic.

Original poster
Carbosug · 01/04/2020 13:24

I'm not talking about realistic threads or suggesting that posters only write upbeat stuff.

I'm talking about extreme threads implying or specifically stating that we're all going to die and posing fantastical dystopian and deeply dark stuff that has no basis in reality.

OP posts:
Cohle · 01/04/2020 13:52

But that's exactly my point. Who makes you the arbiter of what's "realistic". A few months ago the idea of lockdown wasn't "realistic"....

TheCanterburyWhales · 01/04/2020 13:59

I haven't seen any threads saying anything like what the OP has seen.

I presume we are talking about Covid, but the only lies being told are by the people still saying "nobody will die it's like flu it will all be over by the end of the 3 weeks" and the only abhorrent things I've seen are from people saying 'it only kills the oldies who would soon be dead anyway so why do I have to stay at home"

SoupDragon · 01/04/2020 14:08

Hide the topic

Which topic? The threads are everywhere. There's no point reporting them to get them moved any more.

Leona123321 · 01/04/2020 14:19

This site is full of experts. Not opinions. Hard facts. They are right. Everyone else is wrong.

Examples. schools will not open before September. They just won't. Even though teachers or schools don't know. I know. I know because exams are cancelled. There's no way infact it will probably be 2021 in the spring.

Example 2.

All of us pretty much will get this virus. Lockdown won't help any of us not get it. It's purely to slow it down. We will get it at some point.....

Yes very helpful. Let's just hope 50 million people do not get it. If we have a thousand dead out of just 20,000 people. That's far too much death! We don't want that. Not helpful for people who have growth problems or family that are at risk!

Leave it to the experts!

Sparklingbrook · 01/04/2020 14:30

Which topic? Hiding the Coronavirus topic would be a start for anyone with anxiety over the situation and then hide threads as you go not in that section. You can hide them without opening them.