Why do you think mumsnet has a more wealthy user base than average or do you think it’s full of bullshitters?

[Lurkinginthedarkness]

I’ve been reading mumsnet threads regularly for a while now and have noticed the userbase seems to be far wealthy than the general population, based on the income threads and also other little things that give that feel.
Obviously I’m not saying I think everyone is wealthier than average on here I’m personally a broke loser and I’m sure there’s others like me, but I’ve been blown away by the sheer amount of people saying they earn 60, 70, 80 or even 100k like it’s average.

I personally don’t think it’s full of bullshitters as there are other hints like the fact the spelling and grammar used on here is typically far superior to other sites like facebook and obviously you’re unlucky to have a brilliant job if you’re SPAG isn’t spot on.

Anyway I like mumsnet and have nothing against people being better off than me I’m just musing what do you think it is about mumsnet that attracts more wealthier people typically?

A number of the posters claiming to earn massive salaries are clearly bullshitting.

But I also think the demographic of Mumsnet trends towards the upper-middle class. The vast majority of people on here are not doing 3 jobs for minimum wage. Those people probably have very little time to spend on a website forum.

I think it skews more wealthy than average.

I think people with higher incomes are more willing to talk about them.

And - there are also some bullshitters (apparent because their stories never add up!!)

15% of workers earn over £50k, so there are many of these people around. 1 in 20 earn >£100k.

My job is minimum wage in a very quiet shop, lots of sitting around doing nothing but reading mumsnet lol also I have a lot of irl mum friends who are broke compared to the average mumsnetter they use facebook and instagram but not mumsnet.

Based on other topics of conversation that are frequently on here like private school or boarding school I genuinely don’t think they’re bullshitting. But how did it get this way what attracts them to mumsnet?

I think there are a lot of bullshitters here.

100% to the bullshitters. I imagine it's an escape for some people and their real lives. Let's be honest, we all tell fibs when hidden behind a screen.

I think it's a combo of three things.

Poorer people are less likely to admit it so just stay silent when wealth is being discussed.

Some people bullshitting to look good, mixed in with some true posts which then further entrenches a site culture where people feel able to talk about wealth more openly Vs irl.

But also the site culture in general favours posts with well written English and grammar and has a tendency to ignore posts/replies from posters with a less robust grasp on the English language.

People who are more likely to write well are usually those with a better education which, on a population level tends to lead to better job opportunities. Obviously it's not as simple as smarter=better paid but it will cause a skew upwards with a large enough sample.

But the big discussions about private schools? I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation irl about private schools with anyone because it’s so expensive the average person would never think of it.
Also the big hullabaloo about normal names like lexi or lily may sounding “common” and posters on here prefer ottilie. I’ve never heard anyone say lily may was a bad name irl. And never met a baby called ottilie

I find it quite an eye opener into how wealthy people think tbh

I think the opposite from spending time on the style and beauty and weight loss injections boards. And what about the sheer number of people who don’t turn on the heating?

Yes I agree with your last paragraph I’ve just realised I put unlucky in my op when I meant unlikely and it’s too late to edit

When I first joined over a decade ago it was definitely a skew. The posh middle class lentil and hummus eating mums joined Mumsnet and then looked down on the poor chicken nugget loving Netmums. I can remember threads where women were told they might be better off going and joining the Net Huns. So a bit tribal.

Although there are clearly a lot of bullshitters on any forum, I think the level of intelligence and education in a lot of posters here make me believe they are earning good salaries.

there does seemingly appear to be a LOT of posters earning 6 figures, despite that only account for 4% of the workforce, but also they also are the parents of the 1300(ish) kids that got all 9s in their GCSEs (and their friends too) - and their child was grade 8 in piano by 12, AND they could swim 1km at 6 years old, and run 5k in 15 minutes at 7, were reading Matilda at 5, were potty trained at 18 months with no accidents ever etc

I don't think the user base is far more wealthy, I think we just remember the 'wealthy' posts more.

All the thousands of posts from MNetters saying they've only got a fiver to last till the end of the week, aren't as memorable.

And yes of course there are bullshitters on the internet.

Yes I think there are disproportionately high numbers of rich people on here. Partly it’s down to who posts here- average salaries for 30s-40s are higher than for the general population. It’s also a question of who wants to ask the sorts of questions people on here ask- look at the private schools threads etc.

There are bullshitters on here but I think they’re usually pretty obvious. There are also people who very obviously know exactly what they’re talking about- take for example the recent thread from a woman claiming her husband was a barrister then describing a solicitor etc etc. It ended with couple of posters discussing in detail the different ways in which different firms structure partners’ remuneration- a subject I also know about- and it was absolutely obvious they knew exactly what they were talking about. It’s not just a case of high earner = bullshitter (although generally being desperate to say what you earn and bullshitting tend to go together).

I live in a very small town surrounded by several tiny villages with very big houses. Several private schools in the county. I would say that the general discussion and topics on Mumsnet reflect what I come across in real life - Kids went to a small village primary school where about a quarter probably went on to private school for secondary. Lots of people with horses, skiing holidays and high earners. We are not. (Lots of camping holidays, 3 bed semi and normal jobs - although DH higher than the average / minimum wage and I was a waitress whilst the kids were young)

I would say that sites like netmums seem to have more people on the less privileged end of the scale than Mumsnet. I also think that people who have higher paying jobs are more likely to have moved away for Uni or jobs and so do not have family close by so turn to the internet forums as a source of support.

Both, probably.

Loads of BS. You can write anything here. I’ve been on various parenting forums for twenty years. Seen loads of people caught out in their fakery. Just don’t believe anything you read on here and you’ll be fine.

It’s just the demographic it attracts, it’s quite middle-class. Why would someone lie in an anonymous forum, there’s literally no point presenting yourself as someone better if no one knows who you are.

I do supply work, so probably actually earn less than minimum wage, if you take into account all the variables.

My son did go to an independent school, so I can comment on that, but we used his adoption allowance for a lot of that.

We do go on a lot of holidays, but I research very carefully, and spend very little!

So things aren’t always as simplistic as they seem when people talk about their lifestyles.

😆
Several of these are true in my case (although slightly older for the swimming 1k and reading). They are too young for GCSEs but we have friends/colleagues whose DC have got all 9s (state and privately educated).
And, no, I am not bullshitting.

I dont think they're bullshitters most of the time, its a MC site, set up by MC people, to talk about MC things, lifestyles and parenting. So of course its going to have predominantly higher earners or people from that type of lifestyle and culture.

It’s birds of a feather and all that - people naturally gravitate to those in similar situations or from similar backgrounds as them. This leads to a a biased perspective and an echo chamber.

Im not saying there arent bullshitters but I think there's a lot of people out there who have no idea (through no fault of their own) how many jobs there are that pay 50k, 100k, 150k that arent CEO jobs. The tech industry is a big example of this, but you dont tend to know about it unless you're in it which is fair. I come from a poor working class background so im still slightly taken aback by the numbers, but I think people massively underestimate how many people are out there making 50k+ in environments where thats considered very normal.

I am surprised by your comments on SPAG, OP.

On this thread the SPAG is good so far, but on the whole it leaves a lot to be desired. I write as an immigrant.

Having moved to America before settling here I still occasionally get confused between the nuances of the two languages, but I am thinking of downright errors.

But it’s also a site anyone can you use so what’s stopping poorer people using it, I can’t remember how I stumbled upon mumsnet but all you have to do is make an account same as any site