Mumsnet is terrible for my mental health

[kidsnetflix]

I kind of know it is but can’t seem to stay away … anyone else?

I only browse MN on one web browser on my phone that I have set a time limit for 30 minutes max per day. After that, the app for the browser locks.

I've done the same for all my social media apps.

It has made a huge difference to my mental health overall.

I am not on other forms of SM as they are bad for my MH (especially now with the rise of the far right and misogyny on the rise).

You could ask MN to block your account?

Which boards are you using mostly? The boards with the highest traffic get the most aggressive posters.

I recommend sticking more to the hobby boards on stuff like books, films, TV. If wanting parenting advice, the boards for different age groups might be better than AIBU or Chat. Sending a 🫂.

I feel like it's bad for me but I get sucked in to the 'Trending' headlines
Whenever we go on holiday or days out I hardly touch my phone and it feels great, I just need to detox but struggle to actually do it

Delete the account. Sorted. ✔️

It was crystal clear to me too.

You can still read mumsnet without an account

Yup, it’s completely toxic. Exerts an evil fascination, like sticking your tongue in a hole in your tooth.

It's this kind of exchange that people are meaning when they say it's bad for their MH!

I know what you mean Op, but I also sort of find it fascinating seeing how people respond.

I find it distracts me when working. I keep jumping to notifications out of curiosity whenever I hit a snag in what I am doing. I'm not "on the clock" but it's still inefficient.

I've blocked AIBU from appearing in my Active Convos before and it genuinely makes it a much less stressful experience.

But also I made a decision a while ago not to invest time arguing online because quite frequently, the person you are arguing with isn't actually taking the discussion in good faith.

Sometimes they are trolls or bots or extremely entrenched in an agenda - so they will not be swayed no matter what you say.

Sometimes they are playing some kind of points game which is a bit jarring if you didn't know you were enrolled in a game.

Sometimes they have just had their own experiences which have led to very strong/skewed opinions/understanding of a topic.

In general if I am finding a thread stressful or upsetting I am much more flippant with just hiding the thread now. Or stopping replying halfway through and doing something else.

There are great people and causes and things which genuinely deserve your anger and upset - MN is not one of them. Don't give away your emotional energy like that

That's so well put!

I get upset where people are being awful to children but beyond that I can often see the funny side. Or at least an interesting side to what and how people trigger.

I hope though that’s the PPs comment about ducks in a row made you laugh - it did me . Maybe thats why we are still here

Tell us more OP. What do you mean by mental health? Does Moment cause you brain fog, persistent sadness, excessive worry, intense fear, mood swings, or feeling emotionally numb?

Do you have poor mental health or full blown mental illness / disorder?

What's affecting you the most? Reading posts? Posting? Certain threads, certain posters? Is it when people disagree with you?

If you are able to, try and delete your account and find a real life occupation.

If you are unable to and your well-being and productivity suffer, go and see the GP. HTH.

And clear to me - and I am as thick as can be

It was clear!

I think you should think about what you want to get out of using it, what actually happens when you use it and then adjust the time on it accordingly.

Its all the mans fault, he is abusive.

leave the bastard

Do you use any other social media or chat forums?

Read the Meghan and Harry threads. Then you’ll realise that comparably, you’re fine

There are definitely things I find useful, like advice with child development or just general stuff, and some things are just a nice way to pass a bit of time like the fashion boards.

But yeah, beyond that, it can become addictive in a bit of a negative way, like some of the AIBU are awful.

It's about trying to notice when it's getting to the tipping point and get yourself off before getting drawn into anything nasty!

How do you set that up? (Or will I have to wait until tomorrow to find out now?)

It’s certainly bad for my productivity!

I love mumsnet but then I only read the more
lighthearted threads, don’t get involved in any arguments, don’t read the hugely divisive threads like politics, feminism etc, don’t believe the scaremongering bullshit some people like to post and I only use it in short bursts then go off to enjoy real life. I think that’s the only way to stay sane really.

Haha you can use a Google widget to limit your use to 30 minutes or whatever per day. Or block access altogether.

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/stayfocusd-%E2%80%93-website-bloc/laankejkbhbdhmipfmgcngdelahlfoji?pli=1