AIBU to Think MNHQ needs to tackle the ageism on this site?

[LastGoldenDaysOfSummer]

The venom and hate aimed at older people on some of the Covid threads is disgusting. If the same was aimed at disabled, TW or BAME people then the posts would be deleted immediately, and rightly so.

But because it's the elderly it's left to stand, even after being reported. This isn't new, MNHQ has always been a hotbed of ageism but it's usually dealt with when reported.

But not any more. Should they be doing more?

Can you provide examples?

YANBU

And anyone over 50 is classed as elderly by a lot of posters. Indeed MNHQ created a completely site - Gransnet - for the over 50s [puzzled]

YANBU I've noticed this, and I'm under 40.

@Lockheart

Can you provide examples?

read the Covid threads. They are rife with it.

Could you link to one of the threads? I haven't seen anything like that (although I don't go on the covid threads much). If you link one or two of the worst ones then we can report as well.

It’s been like this for years OP. I report when it’s blatant and then when the deletion occurs the poster is all wide eyed with shock and surprise that their ageism has been called out.

Most posters don’t even recognise they are ageist.

@DimityDeNimes

YANBU

And anyone over 50 is classed as elderly by a lot of posters. Indeed MNHQ created a completely site - Gransnet - for the over 50s [puzzled]

Didn't know it had an age range! My mum was a gran at 45 and some people have teenagers in their 50s, why does it need an age range?

@LastGoldenDaysOfSummer which ones? There are thousands.

If you can't provide examples how on earth can people help you report them?

I became a mum at 17, a nan at 39 and I have a teenager (18) and I’m 53, when I go on gransnet you really can tell they are a lot older, the talk is very tame and dare I say it .. it’s boring, I much prefer mumsnet

@DimityDeNimes

YANBU

And anyone over 50 is classed as elderly by a lot of posters. Indeed MNHQ created a completely site - Gransnet - for the over 50s [puzzled]

Yes, I've noticed it too. I'm over 50 and I am nowhere to be put out to pasture yet some of MN seem to think we all should be.

If I wrote a message saying that BAME people are selfish because they are refusing to stay at home so white people don't have to then I'd rightly be banned yet I have seen it said that over 50s should stay at home so everybody else can get on with their life as normal.

I've also seen it said that over 50s are selfishly doing jobs that younger people need, that we are stopping younger people from being able to buy houses. Again if that was said about BAME people then there would rightly be uproar.

MN why is it OK to discrimate against us? Why should we be pushed onto Gransnet when we are a large demographic representative of a lot of Mumsnet?

Didn't know it had an age range! My mum was a gran at 45 and some people have teenagers in their 50s, why does it need an age range?

Honestly, I don't know why it needs to exist at all @kowari. It "others" women in a misogynistic way: your childbearing days are over so leave this vibrant site and go over to GN where you can knit and discuss your ailments.

If MNHQ got their act together and organised Mumsnet site better they could create thriving boards for women of all ages right here.

I haven't seen any actual posts like this, but keep seeing ones like this saying there are, so maybe there are and are being deleted, so that's what is wanted is it not?

You’ll need to be more specific than just “read the COVID threads.” A lot of posters have the COVID topic hidden because it’s full of hysteria and paranoia and is generally an unhealthy place to post and read anyway.

Oh and you’re wrong if you think that ableism doesn’t exist here...

Could you at least give a flavour of what you mean? Paraphrase an ageist post?

Ableism is rife here.

Im 51 and maybe I don't take it to heart.

thread today saying it's only the over 70's who are dying, it's just like flu for everyone else so we should behave as if it were flu, and do nothing

Replace over 70's with the term BAME...

I haven't seen any "ageism" on here but I do think young and old are at odds with one another. obviously covid is an age issue though because it massively affects the older more so obviously the question is raised whether it would be better for the younger of us to get on with life and keep our economy going and just isolate the elderly, instead of isolating everyone when most of us will be fine. I think theres also a case of young people feeling like the elderly aren't as invested in our economic future since they wont have to suffer through it with us.
I also think younger people have grown up with older people being ageist against them so there's no bond between the two generations, and now those "youths" have actual voices and are able to vote its caused conflict. We got right shit off older people just for existing when I was a teenager.

I particularly dislike threads about having a baby over 40 where lots of posters pile on to shout about how selfish women are to have babies in their 40s, and how they will inevitably have disabled babies and will embarrass their children with their decrepitude before dying before their children are 18. It's quite unpleasant.

I've seen plenty of threads where if anyone you encounter is over 40 and grumpy or unreasonable some poster always asks "have you thought about dementia" ...in much the same way that autism is always suggested for those under 40 being grumpy or unreasonable...

And please do not conflate ageism with racism. People that are now old were once young. People that.are non-white we're not previously white. They've never had white privilege in a way that older people now once had youth.

Two separate issues, both need addressing.

I'm a bit on the fence here, as I do think that we have to have age-appropriate measures, and that preserving life for the majority, especially the young, is extremely important, and I'm prepared (as a just over 50) to take some risks to preserve that, as are my parents in their 70's. None of us wants a lockdown and all of us want to go on enjoying our lives just a little bit, with masks, SD and being sensible (which most people don't do, they simply don't wear masks round this way except at the very last minute to go into some shop and then not even then).

I don't think doing things like pointing out the average age of people dying of Covid is in the 80's is a bad thing to do, it's factual information that can help us evaluate our own risks and decide what balance we want in society.

The most hideous ageism is not from mumsnet, but from the government who literally send covid patients back to care homes, shut them up and left them without tests or options for staff to secure PPE. That's an ageism scandal.

It's perfectly possible to support the rights of older adults whilst thinking of the needs of the young, I think anyway. Neither has been well served by this government.

Those who have an issue with older people need to remember that it will be them one day who are over 50 and past it 😉. Time passes bloody quickly.

If the same was aimed at disabled, TW or BAME people then the posts would be deleted immediately, and rightly so.

There’s loads of racism against BAME people on MN.