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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask a hobby group member to stop messaging so much?

127 replies

YorkshirePuddingsGreatestFan · Today 09:34

I've suffered badly from depression and was encouraged to join a hobby group for company and to make new friends. I did that. I've settled in well and I enjoy going to the group. It's really helped me. I'm not very good with social situations and this was a big step for me.

The group also has a Facebook group where people talk during the week. I joined that too and also several people added me as friends, including Bob.

Bob has health problems and is on long term sick. His wife works and he just seems to sit in the house all day watching TV and using Facebook. He's ok to talk to at the hobby but not someone I'd be a close friend with and meet up with out of the hobby.

Since he befriended me on Facebook, it's got to the point where I feel like he's suffocating me on there. Every time I post a status update or a photo, he likes it within seconds, posts a public comment under it and then sends a Messenger message to discuss it. If I post on someone else's status or in a public group that he's not connected to, that is liked, he adds a comment, then messages to discuss that. Close friends and family have noticed and asked who the hell is this Bob character who's all over your stuff?!

He messages me updates from the hobby which I already get as I'm already subscribed to my own notifications that I catch up on when it's convenient for me. He sends me updates of stuff he's watching on TV that I'm not interested in. He sends me reels that he's seen and wants to discuss those. Recent examples are a black and white reel of where he grew up and several paragraphs of him reminiscing about his childhood. A reel about a medical condition and several paragraphs explaining how his neighbour struggles with that.

It got to the point where I muted the conversation as I was dreading it every time my phone made the new message noise and I was hesitant about using Facebook as I usually would due to his behaviour.

I grew some balls and worked up the courage to say please stop it. I was very polite and explained why I don't need him to message the hobby updates, I'm not interested in the stuff he watches on TV and I haven't got time for lengthy chats about stuff he's seen on reels.

He's took massive offence at this and bad mouthed me at the hobby. I've had several people have a go at me for upsetting him. When I've said I can't cope with the intensity of his interactions on Facebook, everyone has said that's just Bob and it's kinder just to humour him.

I now feel uncomfortable attending the hobby group as people are being cold towards me because I've offended Bob.

Have I done anything wrong here? I don't understand why the rest of the group think his needs of wanting to send millions of messages are greater than mine for not wanting to receive so much contact from him.

OP posts:
Nousernameideaaga · Today 09:36

No you haven’t done anything wrong. Bob needed to be told and clearly nobody else was brave enough to do it. If he carries on, have a word with his wife

Thepeopleversuswork · Today 09:41

You have done nothing wrong at all. You have just put up appropriate boundaries. No one in their right mind would have bandwidth to be bombarded with information from a person who they barely know.

I’m quite surprised that the others in the hobby group have reacted as they did; they presumably know Bob and know what he’s like.

Did you tell them he basically stalked you?

Really important that you don’t allow this to knock your confidence. Keep doing the hobby. It will blow over and if Bob continues to badmouth you people will realise what is going on. Don’t let this derail your progress.

DadsMoulting · Today 09:43

Well done for joining in the first place. Sounds like you already had balls.
Bob is a pain in the arse. You are not wrong to have asked him to stop. If the hobby group is more enjoyable than not and if it’s genuinely helping then I’d say carry on for a bit and assume Bob and his enablers will get over it.
Wishing you well.

Shedmistress · Today 09:43

They just want you to be Bob's latest target, it takes the heat off them.

Block Bob, never respond to anything and just keep going to your group. If anyone has a pop at you tell them 'you are free to take up the full time unpaid job of Bob's Best Mate any time'.

Catza · Today 09:43

Press on with the hobby. You did absolutely nothing wrong and, I am sure, many people in your group wish they had done the same. You are just getting "the newcomer" treatment and it will blow over once they have something more interesting to focus on.

Frumpitydoo · Today 09:45

It's ok to be the villain in someone else's story to be the hero in your own. I feel this applies to so many situations, as a reformed people pleaser.

Bacarditropicalfizz · Today 09:46

Fucking hell. YANBU! This would cause me stress.

Why should your life be impacted because he can’t rein it in? You’re allowed boundaries. I used to have a Bob who was my neighbour and I had to start being cold with him to get him to be more distant.

Speakeasier · Today 09:46

You’re fine and haven’t done anything wrong. Although I think I wouldn’t have confronted him directly because some men in particular get aggressive when you do. I would hide your SM posts so he can’t see them but don’t delete him as a FB friend. I would also continue mute his posts so you don’t see them.

I’d be friendly enough in person and if anyone tells you off just mention your own mental health and you need to be careful about how you interact with people so you don’t get overwhelmed (which is true). People are quite happy to volunteer others to put up with this stuff as long as they preserve their self image as a lovely person.

TBH I think it’s sexism because there’s a belief that (particularly youngish) women have to be nice all the time or else they’re wicked old witches. I’ll bet he doesn’t bombard the men with that stuff.

Bacarditropicalfizz · Today 09:46

Frumpitydoo · Today 09:45

It's ok to be the villain in someone else's story to be the hero in your own. I feel this applies to so many situations, as a reformed people pleaser.

LOVE this.

ViciousCurrentBun · Today 09:47

You haven’t but unfortunately you are a new person in an established group. Seems like he does this to everyone who either don’t mind, ignore him or let it wash over them and aren’t bothered.

I had depression when DD died and everything felt too much and overwhelming. So whilst Bob is annoying and it would irritate me I’m aware that my reaction when depressed would be very different from now as I’m not depressed. That isn’t a criticism by the way. I could just ignore it all now. I’m sure it will calm down. When joining Amy new group be a big observer at first. Men though do not take any form of criticism or challenge well due to their ego size.

PlumPlumb · Today 09:48

You can limit your Facebook posts as well so he doesn't see them when you post but it doesn't actively block him. You can make it so he still sees your posts in the relevant hobby group though.

It might be uncomfortable for a few weeks but everyone else in the group will forget about it very quickly and hopefully he will move on to his next target.

Ergh, I used to work with a man like this and being polite got the women he targeted nowhere. You had to be blunt and say you weren't going to respond to anything non work related and follow through on it. We used to warn new members of staff not to accept friend requests from him or give out personal numbers. Took years for the organisation to eventually get rid of him (not through a lack of them trying!) as on the face of things he was just a friendly pest rather than overtly causing anyone harm. Until he did.

DirtyGertiefromno30 · Today 09:50

Be kind

pictoosh · Today 09:51

No you haven't done anything wrong. Do they fully understand the intensity of his contact? I can't imagine they do because it's clearly not on.

Thepeopleversuswork · Today 09:51

Frumpitydoo · Today 09:45

It's ok to be the villain in someone else's story to be the hero in your own. I feel this applies to so many situations, as a reformed people pleaser.

Absolutely

Naurrr · Today 09:51

DirtyGertiefromno30 · Today 09:50

Be kind

No one should be kind to any harasser or stalker. Why isn't Bob being kind?

CountingToThree · Today 09:52

You can change your privacy settings in Facebook so that Bob doesn't see your posts, that might help reduce the intensity of contact

ChateauMargaux · Today 09:53

In case it helps for any future situations, you could have blocked him on facebook and told him, if he asked, you were limiting your time on social media and it was not personal.

Thepeopleversuswork · Today 09:54

DirtyGertiefromno30 · Today 09:50

Be kind

“Being kind” is what allows the Bobs of this world (and worse) to trample over other people’s boundaries.

Be kind to people who deserve it. Being kind as a default setting against your own interests is self destructive.

Screamingabdabz · Today 09:55

“…it's kinder just to humour him.”

They mean it’s easier for the world if women indulge annoying men. No fuck that.

Rules of misogyny no. 2 “saying no to men is a hate crime”.

Bob is a misogynist and so are the people that had a go at you. You were brave Op. Stand by it and be proud of yourself.

Error404FucksNotFound · Today 09:57

Fuck be kind to him what about him and the others being kind to you?

You haven't done anything wrong.
Despite what many seem to think, it's not actually a crime for a woman not to pander to random men to her own detriment.

Choux · Today 09:57

You are not in the wrong. As someone else said the others at the hobby group are glad he is messaging you as it lessens the messages to them.

Change your Facebook settings so he cannot see anything you post to your family and friends. Turn off the notifications that bother you the most and just dip into the updates as and when you choose. Keep attending the hobby group if you enjoy it. Everyone will get over your boundary assertion - hopefully even Bob. Be polite to him but shut down anything you are not interested in eg if he asks you about the TV show say ‘sorry I don’t really watch tv. Did you see Susie’s hobby creation she put on Facebook?’ Keep all chat hobby related.

If you feel you can be honest with people about you joining the group partly for your mental health it might help the other empathise with you in the same way they they seem to empathise with Bob. But you don’t have to do that if don’t want to.

bestbefore · Today 09:59

You can set it up so when you post it doesn’t let him see it (certainly for your own posts)

InterestedDad37 · Today 10:01

Bob's a dickhead. You don't have to be kind to him.

Bacarditropicalfizz · Today 10:02

DirtyGertiefromno30 · Today 09:50

Be kind

Is that you Bob? Stop being a pest mate.

WinterBlues26 · Today 10:06

DirtyGertiefromno30 · Today 09:50

Be kind

Why can't Bob be kind and leave her alone? Why can't the rest of the group be kind? Why can't you be kind?

@YorkshirePuddingsGreatestFan I'm sure there's a setting on FB where you can have him as a friend but he can't see your posts or likes. Then mute his conversation until you are ready to skim through it (or not).

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