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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Was I Unreasonable... Friend posting photos of random teens...

48 replies

RockinHorseShit · 11/10/2021 16:44

I seem to have started a passive aggressive war with an old friend on Facebook, after pulling her up on a post that she made. I'm ignoring it, but it's left me wondering if I WU in any way as she's reacted so strongly, with post after post with memes about how confused she is, people need to wind their neck in, that things were simpler back in the 80s etc Confused

Friend is 65, she took a photo of 2 very young women at a station when travelling north . Having a teenage DD myself, I'd have guessed them to be 14/15/16, at very most 18, but their dress sense said younger. One of the girls was wearing rollers & friend was posting to take the pee out of them. Her post was open to share, so for all to see too & she has friends & family in the area of the station as it's her hometown.

I simply pointed out that the post probably wasn't a good idea as they were only very young, wasn't very kind & it could be shared & she doesn't know how that might affect them or what else goes on in their lives. Said I wasn't judging her, knew she was around teens or youngsters, but i am & know it's been a very tough few years for our young people & she probably wouldn't like it if it was someone taking photos & sharing to ridicule her either & she's not still a kid.

She came back with what to me was a ridiculous reply, in that she's photographed & videoed every day & we all are when we lived in cities, reckons she's had camera flashes at her bedroom windows the lot, so that apparently gives her the right to take any photo she pleases. She completely ignored the fact that even where that might be true, in general, nobody is sharing those images to take the pee out of them. She did at least quietly change the settings from public to friends only, so it couldn't be shared

I'm ignoring her passive aggressive meme & loaded comments nonsense, but WTAF Confused

Was I unreasonable to pull her up on her photo, such an over reaction & total inability for my friend to see what was wrong with her post, I'm beginning to question myself Confused

OP posts:
MedusasBadHairDay · 11/10/2021 16:48

YANBU, it's a needlessly mean thing for her to do.

Etinoxaurus · 11/10/2021 16:48

Good for you!
I’d unfollow/ unfriend. She doesn’t sound very interesting or pleasant.

teddingtonbear · 11/10/2021 16:48

YANBU. Your friend sounds like a twat.

DogBirthday · 11/10/2021 16:50

YANBU

Kite22 · 11/10/2021 16:50

YANBU.
She got it wrong and I imagine realises that now you have pointed it out, and the response is her being defensive and embarrassed.
You were right to mention it, and you are right to now not engage with he way of responding.

BabbleBee · 11/10/2021 16:50

YANBU regardless of the age of the people in the photo.

I’m betting she posts loads of #BeKind type stuff too…

Cocomarine · 11/10/2021 16:50

You’d have got my back right up with telling me that you weren’t judging me and I hadn’t been around teens. I’d have found that patronising.
I’d also be annoyed if the dressing down was on my post, not a message.

FWIW I agree with you, but think it should have been a much lighter “aw - we were all young once, don’t share that - it’ll make a permanent record of it on here and you never know.”

Or say: “loads of teen go out in rollers these days, so - OK Boomer!”

Ughmaybenot · 11/10/2021 16:51

YANBU and good on you for doing the right thing and calling out her shit behaviour.

stalkersaga · 11/10/2021 16:51

I doubt it'll ultimately distress the teens overmuch (isn't the whole point of teen dressing to make people who are 65 think you look ridiculous?) but it was a mean, shortsighted, and unnecessary thing to do, yes.

HoardingSamphireSaurus · 11/10/2021 16:51

Pick one of the memes and reply

If you weren't posting pictures just to ridicule people I wouldn't have comment.

Then block her on everything!

She sounds really unpleasant.

IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves · 11/10/2021 16:52

She was completely in the wrong. Very spiteful.

Bootskates · 11/10/2021 16:52

YANBU. What is wrong with people that do this?! So nasty

stalkersaga · 11/10/2021 16:53

Although I tend to agree that "OK Boomer" would have made the pont in a less wordy and patronising way.

HuckleberryJam · 11/10/2021 16:54

You are right. I would have written something too, although not as long, but still tried to get the message across. The memes sound childish.
A school mum shared a photo of an overweight woman carrying an Ann Summers bag with a mean comment. It's a horrible thing to do and even worse when it's kids

SparkyBlue · 11/10/2021 16:54

You were in the right here OP. I hate that mean nasty stuff. My DD is only going on nine but already enjoying experimenting bit with her clothes so that crap touches a nerve with me

WorraLiberty · 11/10/2021 16:56

Blimey, that was a very long-winded way of telling us your mate too a photo of a stranger wearing rollers and published it on FB to take the piss.

I Can't see anyone saying 'Yes you were unreasonable to pull her up'.

Tal45 · 11/10/2021 16:59

To go to all the effort of photographing someone random and putting them up on SM just to ridicule them is stupid and nasty. But you can't argue with stupid. I'd unfollow and leave it at that.

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 11/10/2021 17:20

What a horrible cow, basically bullying someone with a post that has the potential to go viral and be seen by thousands of people. I wouldn't be friends with a nasty piece of work like that.

TracyBeakerSoYeah · 11/10/2021 17:29

You are so right.
I just don't get people like this. They wouldn't put a photo of a random person with a nasty comment attached to on a notice board/wall/fence whatever (surely it's a criminal offence if the person in the photo is recognisable & the comment is libellous?)
So why on earth do the same people think it's ok to do it on the internet?
Some folk are as thick as mince & nasty with it.

TheAverageUser · 11/10/2021 17:35

It sounds like you're right but the way you said it would have irritated me.

It's just not a kind thing of her to do but social media is certainly full of that

Fdksyihfd · 11/10/2021 17:46

That’s a horrible thing of her to do; good for you to call her out on it

PaperhouseLegs · 11/10/2021 17:55

YANBU. Taking photos of strangers on the sly is awful and mean. I wouldn't think the girls would give a fuck what someone old enough to be their gran would think to be honest, but I'm sure she would have an absolute fit if somebody uploaded a photo of her taking the piss out of her outfit or hair. Some people just love a reaction and that's what she has posted for. Attention. Just block. She sounds like a twat. I'm also sure she doesn't have "camera flashes going off at her windows" all the time either GrinHmm unless she is some notorious celebrity featuring in the press a lot?

LaetitiaASD · 11/10/2021 17:56

I am slightly less concerned with OP's friend's behaviour than OP was, but OP did nothing wrong by calling her friend out very politely, and the response was bonkers.

PaperhouseLegs · 11/10/2021 17:59

Oh and she changed the settings to friends only so she doesn't get that photo shared on a community page or similar and be absolutely ripped to shreds about posting photos of teens and bullying.

WhereIsMumHiding3 · 11/10/2021 18:00

It sounds a mean post and agree with you about suggesting to her maybe not appropriate in terms of bullying and also if they were minor children
She's not listened so there's not much else you can do, defo ignore her pass- agg posts

If I found out someone was posting ridiculing photos of my minor aged DDs, I'd report to fb & IG requesting they were taken down

It's just plain nasty of your "friend" and teens don't need this cyber bullying type thing after the year & half they've had.

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