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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To say that there is a huge amount of anti vax threads allowed on mumsnet?

310 replies

visitingagain · 09/12/2021 16:07

I fully expect this to be taken down but I am getting completely fed up with the number of anti vax and anti mask threads on mumsnet at the moment. People should be allowed to express views but some of the misinformation is shocking.

OP posts:
Saucery · 09/12/2021 16:09

I know. I keep reporting the more Out There posts, but blatant misinformation is left to stand. I thought social media companies had a duty to correct or delete damaging lies about vaccinations and mitigation measures?

LadyCampanulaTottington · 09/12/2021 16:09

So much misinformation on everything.

Today someone said red meat causes cancer. Something that has never been conclusively proven. Correlation doesn’t mean causation. Most “health food” threads make my eyes bleed.

RoastPotatoQueen · 09/12/2021 16:09

There's misinformation on every thread near enough though about all sorts. YABU.

ErrolTheDragon · 09/12/2021 16:17

I think MNHQs view is generally that misinformation usually gets robustly rebutted, which may be preferable to 'censorship' both in terms of getting correct info out there and also not pandering to antivax/conspiracy theorists persecution complexes.

Original poster
visitingagain · 09/12/2021 16:21

I wish it was rebuffed but unfortunately there are threads with over 500 posts where people just pile on when someone quotes facts, and so they give up.

OP posts:
percythewitch · 09/12/2021 16:24

But at least most of them are posted in the Coronavirus topic and can therefore be hidden.

Original poster
visitingagain · 09/12/2021 16:26

I guess so @percythewitch but they show up in my active posts. And there is a lot of really useful information on here, things are on here before they are on twitter.

OP posts:
Tootsey11 · 09/12/2021 16:35

Well I'm sick of the threads were if someone is unsure or just doesn't want the vaccines, other posters pile on calling them thick stupid selfish anti vaxxers. Everyone is entitled to an opinion.

percythewitch · 09/12/2021 16:41

But I don't want my active list to be full of 65 posts all asking/discussing exactly the same thing. Obviously it has all ramped up a bit with Omicron and the new testing.

The titles do still show up in trending (even if the topic is hidden) but CV threads are creeping back across all the boards.

Powerpotpie · 09/12/2021 16:42

@Tootsey11

Well I'm sick of the threads were if someone is unsure or just doesn't want the vaccines, other posters pile on calling them thick stupid selfish anti vaxxers. Everyone is entitled to an opinion.
Exactly! I think both sides of the vax debate can be as bad as each other.
Original poster
visitingagain · 09/12/2021 16:48

But @Powerpotpie, there aren't two reasonable sides to the anti vax debate. There is the side that presents all the scientific facts eg. Get a vaccine because it's our best and only way to try and reduce deaths from covid and other excess deaths and overwhelming health systems.
And there is the other side which includes " it's not fair" "they don't mean me though" " everyone knows only old/ fat/ stupid people will die " and then all the " I'm not against vaccines BUT " threads.

OP posts:
LittlestLightOnTheXmasTree · 09/12/2021 16:50

People are allowed opinions on the vaccine

And are not breaking any laws by not having it or by being negative about it!!

It's mumsnet, a chat forum, to while away a bit of time on. It's not sky news!

Tittyfilarious81 · 09/12/2021 16:51

@Tootsey11

Well I'm sick of the threads were if someone is unsure or just doesn't want the vaccines, other posters pile on calling them thick stupid selfish anti vaxxers. Everyone is entitled to an opinion.
Definitely this the threads I've seen have seen anyone with a different opinion called disgusting names
Saucery · 09/12/2021 16:52

And the ridiculous “side effects” posts.
I had the first AZ and my ears went hot, my tongue went chartreuse and my leg fell off
No. That didn’t happen. Stop telling lies to frighten people.

jgw1 · 09/12/2021 16:53

@visitingagain

I fully expect this to be taken down but I am getting completely fed up with the number of anti vax and anti mask threads on mumsnet at the moment. People should be allowed to express views but some of the misinformation is shocking.
Much like Brexit the more airtime you give it the more people believe it is a thing.
Original poster
visitingagain · 09/12/2021 16:55

@LittlestLightOnTheXmasTree should people be able to while away time reading a whole load of misinformation on here though ? I would rather read some interesting nonsense in chat and not have people plying absolute nonsense about vaccines or masks

OP posts:
Baystard · 09/12/2021 16:58

Agreed jgw1 it's exactly like brexit, and one wonders how much of the misinformation has been stoked up by foreign bots bent on causing disruption.

MN should be clamping down on blatant misinformation.

Original poster
visitingagain · 09/12/2021 17:03

I would use the analogy of drink driving - mumsnet really couldn't have posts up where people argued in favour of it as a personal choice, bodily autonomy " I don't agree with drink driving but if someone wants to do it, they shouldn't be restricted.." and so on. No one can or should be forced to have a vaccine but being anti vaccine isn't a valid point of view, and we shouldn't be accepting it. Any more than people who wanted to have the right to 6 gins and drive home

OP posts:
IHateWasps · 09/12/2021 17:09

That you want no dissenting opinions scares me far more than anti-vax threads. You really don't think that people should be allowed to question vaccines in any respect or discuss side effects?

Saucery · 09/12/2021 17:11

@IHateWasps

That you want no dissenting opinions scares me far more than anti-vax threads. You really don't think that people should be allowed to question vaccines in any respect or discuss side effects?
Dissenting opinions are fine. Lies aren’t.
IHateWasps · 09/12/2021 17:12

would use the analogy of drink driving - mumsnet really couldn't have posts up where people argued in favour of it as a personal choice, bodily autonomy " I don't agree with drink driving but if someone wants to do it, they shouldn't be restricted.." and so on.

Why the hell not? We're adults. We can deal with dissenting opinions. These boards are for everyone, not just the people you approve of.

Original poster
visitingagain · 09/12/2021 17:12

I think we have really had enough of that now @IHateWasps, if we had a sensible long running side effects board fair enough but it's completely out of hand

OP posts:
IHateWasps · 09/12/2021 17:13

Dissenting opinions are fine. Lies aren’t.

Reading the OP's posts suggest to me that she doesn't much care for the former either.

LittlestLightOnTheXmasTree · 09/12/2021 17:13

[quote visitingagain]@LittlestLightOnTheXmasTree should people be able to while away time reading a whole load of misinformation on here though ? I would rather read some interesting nonsense in chat and not have people plying absolute nonsense about vaccines or masks [/quote]
Oh come on! There's PLENTY of threads about everything on here which could be 'misinformation..... everything from cooking to childcare

It's up to YOU to find the correct information from the correct source, not a chat forum!

Saucery · 09/12/2021 17:13

For instance, continually saying “the vaccines are not tested” is a lie.
Discussing the protocols and research around their development is fine.

Saying you are bleeding from an orifice is a lie.
Reporting changes to menstrual cycle is not a lie.