Does the CITME forum negatively affect your mental health?

[SomeoneSomewheree]

Personally, yes, it does.

To see people day in and day out try and justify a genocide does affect my mental health so I try to stay away at times.

I have also noticed it is the same handful of posters on both sides arguing, neither convincing the other.

I have unfortunately witnessed at times anti-semitic and anti-Palestinian comments, which are not pleasant to read.

Does it affect you? It is not always a pleasant place whatever your stance is on the conflict.

That's not quite true, arms companies are certainly 'winning' to the tune of billions. RTX, for instance, the makers of 2,000-pound 'bunker buster' bombs that turned most of Gaza to rubble saw profit grow a whopping 49% in 2024.

It’s really opened my eyes.

The CITME forum can be really draining- watching the same arguments cycle endlessly, with people often more intent on scoring points than understanding each other. It’s especially upsetting to see hateful comments from any side, because that only deepens divisions.

Sometimes I step away, especially when the conversation turns hostile or dismissive of human suffering.

It’s striking how often those who shout loudest about ‘misinformation’ and ‘truth twisting’ are exactly the ones spreading it. For example, when posters claim others are spreading misinformation about civilian casualties or humanitarian crises, but then dismiss verified reports or evidence- that’s distorting reality. Or when they accuse critics of being biased or hateful, while themselves using dehumanising language or ignoring the suffering of innocent people.

It really highlights how these debates are less about seeking truth and more about controlling the narrative. Recognising this pattern is key to seeing through the noise.

Case in point….
this has been disputed as misinformation many, many, many times….

”One thing I think some posters wants is an echo chamber where they can disseminate all the ill things Israel has allegedly done without rebuttal or discussion. Is this entirely reasonable in a free country with free media where open discussion is the backbone of democracy?”

The irony is hard to miss- accusing others of wanting an echo chamber while doing everything possible to shut down uncomfortable facts is pure projection. Calling documented events “alleged” .

Free speech means you can speak, but it also means others can call out distortion, denial, and the hypocrisy of pretending to champion truth while actively undermining it.

You are not being very respectful on a thread where people are being open about how the CITME forum is affecting their mental health.

Please be respectful to other people, this is not the thread for you if you just want to mock people.

In comparison to some of the comments left on a remembrance thread for Palestinian children on another board- where users posted very dismissive, political and unkind remarks- I don’t feel my tone here comes close to that level of disrespect. I’ve tried to engage in good faith, but it’s difficult to ignore the repeated double standard.

'In comparison to some of the comments left on a remembrance thread for Palestinian children on another board'

That thread says 'I’ll be using this thread to remember one child each day who has been killed in Gaza', it didnt state 'palestinian children'. I posted Ariel and Kkfir Bibas, 2 young children murdered in cold blood in gaza by terrorists, not by an airtstrike. It was initially deleted but reinstated as I don't believe it matters if the children are Jews, do you?

No I don’t think it matters and it hasn’t been deleted 🤷‍♀️ all the nasty comments were though.

I do find it ironic that some posters object so strongly to being mocked, when in other threads they’ve been more than happy to mock, gang up on, or belittle others.

It was deleted. It was reinstated. To think that someone had reported a post because the victims were Jewish is absolutely appalling though.

Well I can categorically say it wasn’t me. I respectfully commemorate all of the children killed in Gaza.

And to think people thought that it was appropriate to write nasty political discourse on that thread.

Sorry, i wasn't accusing you just saying someone did and it seemed so cruel. Tbh I didn't see any nasty commente just some that didn't fit with your aim.

They have been both inappropriate comments and some extremely chilling comments, which have all been deleted by mumsnet thankfully.

and there was no “aim” other than what was stated in the op.

I am unfamiliar with that particular thread and I’m sorry if people were being disrespectful. The best thing is to report posts like that.

As I said - they were swiftly reported and deleted. As I’ve said though, it’s difficult to ignore the repeated double standard.

On some threads discussions take place where a person’s comments can be gently mocked - after all we are all adults.

There is no place for that on a thread about mental health though. Or one dedicated to remembering children killed in Gaza either.

We all experience it though, it isnt double standards. I've been hounded on other threads being asked the same thing repeatedly, literally constant quoting, really ott.

We all feel strongly about our beliefs and yes sometimes sarcasm is there but it is a forum for adults to debate. I think as long as there isn't abuse and attempts to bully then we should be able to tolerate the odd snippy comment.

what I’ve just described isn’t the odd snippy comment.

I'm saying we all experience it though. I've had the piss taken out me repeatedly on these threads. You have to shrug it off, report attacks yes but I think it is ironic that some report sarcasm and mild mockery when they dish out worse.

We should perhaps all agree to watch our tone?

I agree with you and I've certainly had the piss taken out of me, had sarcasm used against me etc. Plus what I consider much, much worse which is being accused of not caring about the deaths of Gazan children, lacking humanity etc.

We all experience it at times and I don't think the mods use double standards when deleting posts. I don't always agree with their decisions but I accept they try to be impartial and stick to the chat guidelines.

This.

Double standards as usual.

The past week has been very enlightening on these threads

Yes, I have found discussions on the citme very disturbing. The quantity of apologists for genocide spreading misinformation is very disturbing, those who do so while feigning concern and calling for civility while defending the indefensible is possibly the most disturbing, changed my view of humanity.

I find it incredibly depressing and infuriating.

We act like we are more enlightened now then in previous generations, with our talk about equality and human rights, and desire to not let history repeat itself, but we are no different, we never learn. History is doomed to repeat itself.

We wonder how people looked the other way in other genocides and now we can see exactly how it happens because here we are again, but this time we (as a society) at the ones choosing to look the other way.

It makes me realise that people I might be friends with, neighbours with, might be willing to either support genocide. That a certain section of society are willing to disbelieve evidence that conflicts with their view.

Before the US elections, Trump said that he could open fire in the middle of 5th avenue and people would still vote for him. Despite that vile statement they did, and the unwillingness of some people to believe incontrovertible evidence in Gaza makes me think he was absolutely right.

And that is terrifying. We live in a post truth world, and that is terrifying. It leaves us all in a vulnerable place.