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?

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince, yes. I'm from 2004. My theory is the average age of MNers has dropped significantly, back in the day, there was hardly anything about pregnancy or babies. It seemed to be women who had found themselves here almost by chance, who happened to have children (or not) I don't know if that has had its effect. I was almost 40 when I joined, and it never crossed my mind to "other" someone who was 60, or hate them because they had a pension and I didn't.

There was certainly less utter hatred towards "others". You'd get trolls making abusive comments on the SEN threads, but they were trolls by and large.

I think that's what's so shocking about the hate speech on the Covid threads- they are normal common or garden MNers who hate the elderly and blame them for their misfortune be that not having a house, or not being able to go to Spoons.

I'm on a long running thread with one of them and every time she posts on there I remember the bile she spews on the Covid threads and how many times I've reported her. It's weird really.

Interesting to see that the votes for HQ not tackling ageism/hate speech towards the elderly is higher than those who think it might be a bit cunty.

Par for the course these days I suppose.

Seedsofadream. I know just what you mean.

My mil was in her 60’s then. She was just a woman in her 60’s. I didn’t hate her, or vilify her or wish she was dead. She was just a woman older than me.

It’s hate speech. But men are just choosing to ignore it. Imagine if it was in the papers or on TV. There would be millions of complaints. But it’s fine on here🤨

MN not men! Actually it’s made me go right off this whole site. I leave for a bit and then drift back on which l regret.

Well, on the other thread about this topic there's a charmer who has a beef with the "anti ageism" movement and openly boasts she is "ageist".
Replace the word ageism with racism or ableism and I think it's clear we've netted an alt right astroturfer.

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince

I think it’s bloody outrageous.

I’ve complained to Mumsnet- got nowhere
Complained to outside organisation. Was told as it’s an internet based thing they can’t do anything.

And for the record;
I suffered during youth unemployment in the 80’s. My friend was a YTS girl.
I vote Labour and voted remain
I don’t have tons of money nor a gold plated pension
I worry that my children (Millennialls and Gen z are being shafted left right and centre)
I don’t have a massive house and no mortgage. I’m just trying to get by like everyone else.

It’s my intention to report every ageist and Boomer post until l see a result.

I hope you will also report posts that are on the same lines made about young people too. After all, been ageist is about age, not just older people.

FWIW, I found that the ‘older’ posters on MN tend to be very dismissive of the young (snowflakes anyone? Or any comment about been born with a silver spoon in their mouth, not knowing the value of money, having it EASY etc etcc)
And posters with teens/young adults can be protective of said young people and say that boomers (so NOT you or me!) should appreciate they had many advantages (which BOOMERS had tbf).

As long as people will carry on pitting people against each other and try to outdo each other on who had it worse, it will carry on.

I do have to agree. There’s a lot of threads about how the young are so entitled and a bunch of snowflakes and it wasn’t like that in WW2 when everyone was stoic and had no emotions and just got on with it. It’s tiresome.

After all, been ageist is about age, not just older people

While strictly true, its most immediately understood application is about older people.

@echt - did you get a reply from MNHQ about the thread we both reported (the one about age determining whether death was tragic)?

I asked them to respond via PM and didn't hear from them.

@echt - did you get a reply from MNHQ about the thread we both reported (the one about age determining whether death was tragic)?

No. But I'm less and less surprised about the idiosyncratic methods of MNHQ. I had my account suspended a while ago, for troll hunting (yes)and personal attack. (no) I can tell you now its is entirely possible to say something is a personal attack when it's the argument being attacked and get the post deleted and the poster's knuckles rapped.

However you can call someone out on being troll in so many words, yet that is OK, not troll-hunting.

Rant over.

They really really don't get the ageism at all.

Yanbu at alll

I can tell you now its is entirely possible to say something is a personal attack when it's the argument being attacked and get the post deleted and the poster's knuckles rapped

I got suspended for the same reason!

I hope you will also report posts that are on the same lines made about young people too.
After all, been ageist is about age, not just older people.

If you don’t get the difference between a poster describing a young person as entitled / whatever and a poster effectively saying that the lives of the elderly are not worth living let alone saving, you are part of the problem

[quote MoiraRoseisupSchittCreek]@echt - did you get a reply from MNHQ about the thread we both reported (the one about age determining whether death was tragic)?

I asked them to respond via PM and didn't hear from them.[/quote]
I've sent them a list of "ones to watch" from that thread. Two particularly charming hate speakers.

I voted YABU because if Mumsnet does one thing well, it's to allow posters to be challenged, and that's only become more possible with the "quote" feature (no editing that!). The rise of the "Karen" insult, and its applicability to older women, should have made us all more sensitive to ageism and sexism: if we wield these weapons ourselves, they can be wielded against us, too. Therefore, arguing against ageism is, in most cases, a job for all of us, not just MNHQ.

Ageism is against the young too., I remember when the first age discrimination legislation came out in the UK we had to hammer that home to people although age discrimination law is not the same as other discriminations. Eg if you need someone with 10 years of surgery experience and you don't pick someone who is 21 that is not illegally ageist.

I haven't seen many posts in the Coronavirus section advocating eugenics on people because they're young tbh. Or talking about how someone they know (though I didn't believe that one) owned a carehome and told their staff in the event of a fire "not to bother with those on the top floor" (it wouldn't have been said by someone working with severely disabled teenagers I don't think)

Posted too soon.

Was saying, people are slagging students off, but not advocating euthanising them.

And the piece of shit (who has now namechanged but is immediately recognisable) talking about "dribbling dementees in their dirty nappies" wasn't challenged. But she would have been if it had been a disabled teenager.

I hope you will also report posts that are on the same lines made about young people too.
After all, been ageist is about age, not just older people.

FWIW, I found that the ‘older’ posters on MN tend to be very dismissive of the young (snowflakes anyone? Or any comment about been born with a silver spoon in their mouth, not knowing the value of money, having it EASY etc etcc)
And posters with teens/young adults can be protective of said young people and say that boomers (so NOT you or me!) should appreciate they had many advantages (which BOOMERS had tbf).

As long as people will carry on pitting people against each other and try to outdo each other on who had it worse, it will carry on.

I thinkl said the Millennialls had been shafted. I would never ever call them snowflakes. My Millennials are grafters. Ive never understood the term ‘snowflake’ and never use it. They’ve had a shit deal.

Yes l would report it. But no one amongst my similar aged friends use the term or think it’s applicable. Ugh, that Armu advert that referred to snowflakes. That was just appalling.

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince

I hope you will also report posts that are on the same lines made about young people too. After all, been ageist is about age, not just older people.

FWIW, I found that the ‘older’ posters on MN tend to be very dismissive of the young (snowflakes anyone? Or any comment about been born with a silver spoon in their mouth, not knowing the value of money, having it EASY etc etcc)
And posters with teens/young adults can be protective of said young people and say that boomers (so NOT you or me!) should appreciate they had many advantages (which BOOMERS had tbf).

As long as people will carry on pitting people against each other and try to outdo each other on who had it worse, it will carry on.

I thinkl said the Millennialls had been shafted. I would never ever call them snowflakes. My Millennials are grafters. Ive never understood the term ‘snowflake’ and never use it. They’ve had a shit deal.

Yes l would report it. But no one amongst my similar aged friends use the term or think it’s applicable. Ugh, that Armu advert that referred to snowflakes. That was just appalling.

Yes, this is also a terrible form of inter-generational hatred, and especially shocking given that MNers are disproportionately mothers (or other carers), and so we really do interact with the interests of other age groups. That's not to say we have to think young people can never be selfish, or old people are terrible put-upon, but we shou

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince

I hope you will also report posts that are on the same lines made about young people too. After all, been ageist is about age, not just older people.

FWIW, I found that the ‘older’ posters on MN tend to be very dismissive of the young (snowflakes anyone? Or any comment about been born with a silver spoon in their mouth, not knowing the value of money, having it EASY etc etcc)
And posters with teens/young adults can be protective of said young people and say that boomers (so NOT you or me!) should appreciate they had many advantages (which BOOMERS had tbf).

As long as people will carry on pitting people against each other and try to outdo each other on who had it worse, it will carry on.

I thinkl said the Millennialls had been shafted. I would never ever call them snowflakes. My Millennials are grafters. Ive never understood the term ‘snowflake’ and never use it. They’ve had a shit deal.

Yes l would report it. But no one amongst my similar aged friends use the term or think it’s applicable. Ugh, that Armu advert that referred to snowflakes. That was just appalling.

Yes, this is also a terrible form of inter-generational hatred, and especially shocking given that MNers are disproportionately mothers (or other carers), and so we really do interact with the interests of other age groups. That's not to say we have to think young people can never be selfish, or old people are terrible put-upon, but we shou

... but AIBU and Relationships are a laboratory for case-by-case judgement and teasing out of prejudices and unconsidered ideas.

Again, I think it's to do more with the demographic of the average common or garden MNer these days. Definitely way younger, so probably have small children rather than teens or uni student children. So "the elderly" to them is their gran, not their mother, and students are still nearer to their own age than their children's if that makes any sense.

I defend teenagers to the hilt (I have 300 though only gave birth to one ) and likewise students. And there IS abuse directed towards them.

@RiotAndAlarum

... but AIBU and Relationships are a laboratory for case-by-case judgement and teasing out of prejudices and unconsidered ideas.

The eugenics is on Coronavirus topics though. And it's all over the shop.

There is a lovely example on this thread, talking about 'old people smell'

To worry about DH's weird breath smell? http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/4053789-To-worry-about-DHs-weird-breath-smell