AIBU or is Mumsnet particularly hysterical?

[hellisotherpeopleandhorlicks]

In the last twenty minutes I've read threads on societal collapse, civil unrest, war all breaking out in the next year. I've seen people hysterically telling an OP to leave a husband or slept in accidentally, and others encouraging people to panic buy for Brexit while disputing the fact that what they are encouraging is in fact panic buying.

Is Mumsnet generally a good representation of people's views in your circles do you find? Or do people post their true feelings here, ones they wouldn't speak out loud do you think? IE anxieties about things like civil unrest?

I'm just curious really as to whether people read threads on mumsnet and feel that they're a bit OTT and scare mongering or whether they think they're a good representation of the general vibe in their area or circle?

stock up the G&T

Why? No one here drinks amount it would need stocking up. That's greedy. Bottle last years!

I drink hot drinks most of the day and I always liked making tea or coffee at work, being a shirker by nature, and so really wasn't in the right mental zone to understand the issue.

I skimmed, felt discombobulated and left in horror. I had to get a strong tea to recover!

I dont mean this as a joke but I genuinely think some people will not cope when covid is over

Yes, some of the responses on MN are bonkers and dramatic.

The one I see the most is 'your DH is a a terrible person, leave him immediately' or something along those lines in response to Op saying her DH went to a football match instead of going to the cinema with her..

Have seen a thread explode because someone wanted to park in the disabled parking in a carpark at 6am where all the other spots had been taped off overnight to stop people mucking about in the car park.

IRL: Oh I see what they are doing, car park is deserted, I'll park in the disabled spot while I pop in to Tesco

Mumsnet: Anyone who parks in a disabled spot without a badge should die in a fire, I don't care there were 8 of them empty and you've given and explanation, start setting yourself on fire you evil witch

It can be an odd place but I like it.

I like it, it makes for good entertainment. But anyone taking it serious needs a reality check!

@Silvercatowner

I have no friends in RL who are remotely like some of the people on here - I feel it is a parallel universe

Me neither. Mumsnet for me is often a weird mix of The Archers, Blackadder and Tom and Jerry.

Nah.

Blackadder was funny.

Some people used to say the "worried about Covid" thread was "hysterical" because they had a maladaptive denialism of reality thing going on.

Because you know, now look at us.

The rational and dispassionate amongst us are able to think a few steps ahead to the logical consequences of allowing the NHS to be overrun, or letting covid spread exponentially unrestricted, or ending all of our international arrangements on the same day without replacing them.

I think the denial of reality thing is an emotional "fingers in ears, LALALA" reaction that prevents people from doing rational threat assessment and adapting to new circumstances, but I hesitate to use the word "hysterical" about it because of its gendered history.

It's not. I just skimmed through the Guardian headlines and started to feel deeply, horribly anxious esp for my close family in the UK (not in UK myself), and I actually came to mumsnet aibu for some distraction(the one about the photo of the dear diseased is excellent) :)

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Well I am going to go in a corner and sob and shake because I still don't know what alternative to hysterical would be👀

@VinylDetective I think it's about how the term started

I went with "emotional"

The speed at which posters jump on threads to tell the OP that the only explanation for her DH's popping to the shops/working 15 minutes late/putting a new screensaver up/wanting to go to the pub is he's having an affair. It's fucking ridiculous. And my exH HAD an affair! But I don't suddenly project and assume all men are

The worst ones by far are the pet related ones. You can abort your baby at 39 weeks, relinquish your adopted child when it's 18, but god forbid you even think about rehoming your dog after it has bitten your toddler in the face. You deserve to be burnt on a stake for even considering it, you must prioritise pets at all times.

Lots of reactionary drama, that's for sure, but I've been so impressed, more than a few times, with the help, advice and support given to people really suffering and in need. There are some good sorts on here.

@zatarontoast and if you dare to consider being a puppy from new then you're basically in favour of mass eugenics.

Meanwhile:
IRL: "I'm getting a puppy from a breeder"
Normal response: "That's great!"

@WonderMoon

Yes, some of the responses on MN are bonkers and dramatic.

The one I see the most is 'your DH is a a terrible person, leave him immediately' or something along those lines in response to Op saying her DH went to a football match instead of going to the cinema with her..

I've honestly never seen any such kind of thread and I've read hundreds of relationship ones. It usually starts to gradual unfurl as to how awful the man in question really is and then the LTB advice can start to come in, often quite understandably.

Do you all just come to Mumsnet to laugh at the hysteria then?

If so why get drawn in and upset by it OP?

People can take practical steps surrounding covid that is sensible but catastrophising it and crying Armageddon is here is hysterical

Online personas are more hysterical than face to face or phone/zoom ones. I find.

Well I am preparing for something like a scene from the purge when society breaks down into the haves, and have nots, some will lose their jobs, income and homes, some will lose loved ones and be seething at those going out and about not giving a shit. This is tongue in cheek, but I do think there will be some fall out, I am 55 and remember years ago when unemployment was high, the riots and backlash that followed.

Well - what I'm seeing labeled as hysteria are threads where people are discussing the political crisis we're in - amongst so much else. People are thinking about what this might lead to.

Practical steps are all fine and good @seayork2020 - but it's also fine to think a bit wider and further too.

Hah OP, you've proved your point. Love the idea that 'hysterical' has gender connotations, so is now forbidden unless we use it to describe men. I wonder what other words we can do that with? Ugh.

@GlummyMcGlummerson that reminds me, a poster insisted a photo of a dog breeder she went to visit and everyone was claiming he was definitely a puppy farmer due to his outfit. One poster even claimed a stain on his trousers was most likely semen!

MN is what people are like on the internet. Noone knows if they are interacting with people they know irl or not. In reality people are different but everything is overblown on the internet.

[quote zatarontoast]@GlummyMcGlummerson that reminds me, a poster insisted a photo of a dog breeder she went to visit and everyone was claiming he was definitely a puppy farmer due to his outfit. One poster even claimed a stain on his trousers was most likely semen![/quote]
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I remember one post about an OP's DH who was the best man for his mate, and the groom wanted the stag in Las Vegas. Several posters told the OP that the ONLY reason men want to go to Las Vegas is to shag prostitutes. Because you k ow it couldn't be for the fact that, you know, it's a fun place

I don't think you're wrong OP. Surely a lot of people post in AIBU solely for effect and it's read for its entertainment value.

There are other parts of MN that are valid but yes, there are a lot of people who come across as nucking futs on here.