To wonder why there’s so much talk on politics on mumsnet?

[Chloefairydust]

Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s important to know what’s going on in the world and I’m as angry at the government as the next woman…

But sometimes it’s nice to come on mumsnet for a bit of escapism, and the lighter hearted topics…

Am I alone here?

Ignore those threads then. Politics affects everything in our lives and is a very broad topic.

Not everyone wants escapism - people vary..

People always want to discuss the prevailing issues of the time. At the moment there is a lot going on politically so more threads on that. Near bonfire night there will be the usual moaners, and during covid there were loads of threads about "rules" and "reporting". I think you need to be a bit less upset at the existence of the threads and just scroll by. Engage with the escapism and hide any boards you don't want to see.

Just ignore those threads.

Politics affects you.

Decisions made by the government will affect the job you can get, the amount of tax you will pay, the benefits you may be entitled to if your life falls apart due to sickness, unemployment or MH problems, the world you will be passing on to your offspring, the way you are legally treated as a woman,

Thats why Politics is a topic of conversation. It affects you, not "what's going on in the world", it's a lot closer to home than that!

if you want to talk about Health and Beauty, moneysaving or yoga, head over there, you don't have to talk about politics 24/7/365, or even 1 hour a day if you don't want to. You have the choice.

Mumsnet is hardly overrun with political posts - and the ones that are here are current and very relevant. There are still plenty of other posts to read if you want to ignore every single political one.

I think it's really odd to wonder why there are 'so many' political posts here. In case you still aren't clear, it's because people care about what is going on in the country and in the world.

I'm sure you're not alone but I think you're being unreasonable. Mumsnet is a big multi-topic forum - including politics - and is not designed to be escapism only.
Plus there is a lot going on politically at present in the UK and abroad which is directly influencing people's everyday life.

If you want escapism only, you might find other single-topic sites better? I find for example, running sites, tend to have much less on politics - normally a single off-topic board. Or as others have said, hide the mumsnet threads you don't want to see.

More broadly, I find the idea that a mostly woman site focusses too much on politics a little irritating. Like that Harry Enfield sketch: Women: know your limits!

I often think there is surprisingly little politics on Mumsnet. And you don't have to read it if you don't like it.

Read Take a Break instead ?

Because every time even two politicians have a conversation something in our everyday life changes - recently think interest rate rises and energy costs

Just pick out a few boards with specific topics then? But women will talk about politics on the general boards because it's integral to just about everything.

It’sa weird thing to complain about. I mean - pick the threads you want to read on the topics you’re interested in and contribute to those. But your post makes it sound as if you’re just amazed that ANY women actually talk about such serious matters when - what, we should be gossiping about the Daily Mail sidebar of shame and when we last got our hair done?

This is for you, OP We should all know our limits!

Because it's anonymous. People get so angry with people holding different political views to them nowadays that it's hard to debate things above the parapet.

I think politics is exactly the kind of thing to discuss on a site like this as certain views can cause people fallout and stress in real life.

It's also good to see views from people on completely opposite sides of the spectrum, and how policies could affect different people as you only normally think about how they'd affect you.

No one makes you click on any thread. Pick a lighthearted one if that's what you are after. Mumsnetters refuse to be good and quiet little women who spend rheir energy on baking and keeping the perfect home. We are aware of and active in the political sphere and when we want to talk to each other about political issues we will do so.

Any topic discussed on here is because you want opinions of those you don’t know about things you won’t discuss with just anyone in real life. I don’t talk politics or covid with anyone I bump paths with in real life because you don’t want to upset your friends and also because you just don’t know who is fed up of hearing about a specific topic. This is exactly why it’s discussed on Mumsnet I feel … because people can look at thread title and scroll on by. In real life you can’t shut anyone down like that. I think Mumsnet covers a broad range of subjects actually and those I don’t want to see I don’t engage in. Simple.

I think there's barely any politics on mn. Plus, I don't want escapism.

Because mumsnet is people and people discuss politics? Because it's important?

If you want to escape, go ahead - it never means you get to censor anyone else. It means you choose to look elsewhere. There's a massive choice of threads on mumsnet with no political content whatsoever, but it's your choices that will confine you to them. No one else makes your choices for you.

I wish more people would regularly engage in politics. If they did, we wouldn’t be in the state we are today. Brexit and every government since then happened because lots of people either stayed at home on Election Day or didn’t find out things for themselves so allowed themselves to convinced by newspaper headlines.

If more people engaged, they could join dots and not fall for three word slogans or messages on buses.

Are you equating ‘predominantly used by women’ with ‘escapist’?

I guess I just don’t see the point of getting all worked up over the state of politics at the moment, I feel like it’s all just in such a state, and I can’t really see any hope for improvement in politics anytime soon. The conservatives are very much just for the benefit of the few high earners right at the top, and the Labour Party have been in such a mess that people have lost confidence in them (I say this as a labour voter and yes I still vote for them but conservatives always win by a landslide). I just feel a bit defeated by it all.

I read the political posts and the injustice of it all is just really shit, but I don’t see any hope of change any time soon. Nothing I say on here is really going to change anything. Just probably put me in a bad mood and raise my blood pressure a bit lol.

But sometimes it’s nice to come on mumsnet for a bit of escapism, and the lighter hearted topics…

Well...why not stick to those threads then? I mean... there are lots of topics on MN which don't remotely appeal to or aren't relevant to me (parking, baby names, breastfeeding). Other people are interested in them though, so it would be weird of me to start a thread asking why MN didn't just stick to the kinds of topics I like!

Besides, there's a lot more to the topic of politics than just complaining about how shit the Tories (or any other political party) are. YABVU.

The latest bi-elections were not won by the Conservatives at all so I don’t think you’ve engaged in politics for a good while OP.

@Chloefairydust just as well other people are bothered because you can't be arsed, basically.

I know OP, I don't think women should be worrying their pretty little heads over it all. Luckily there are lots of feminine boards such as recipes, housekeeping, style and beauty and it doesn't really get mentioned there thankfully xxx

Shall we talk about fluffy kittens? 😹🐱