"boomer" thread 2 💥

[IClaudine]

A thread for people who want to combat ageism on the site, because MNHQ can't be bothered to.

Original thread

www.mumsnet.com/talk/site_stuff/4882762-boomer-thread?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

Thank you.

Thank you.

I once complained to The Equalities Comission about ageism on Mumsnet.

l was told they don’t deal with social media.

Now l remember a few years ago, something was pudding a lot of people off. And whenever anything related to it was posted, people who objected posted a bunch of flowers. I recall it stopped it eventually.

Pissing a lot of people off🙄

Maybe there needs to be a safe space for those of advancing years on MN? Somewhere tucked away where the youngsters can’t grab at their houses and savings.

What is it you want Mumsnet to do? There is intergenerational inequality and younger generations are aware of it and sometimes angry about it.

I've seen back and forth on here with stereotypes bandied about both ways, plenty of 'well but you have iPhones and netflix' type comments. I find them annoying but wouldn't expect Mumsnet to censor them.

I know you're joking, but there is gransnet

If you want an answer to your first question I'd suggest looking back at the beginning of the original thread.

I think it's the ignorance that depresses me most.

So many people under 40, think that the boomer generation all have gold plated pensions when in reality, a significant number don't have anything other than the state pension.

It doesn't matter how old people are, they should at least try to get their facts straight.

There is some ageism both ways, but the ageism directed at older people and Boomers is far more endemic and nasty. You are quite welcome to start a separate thread about ageism towards millenials.

I think we are all well aware about intergenerational wealth inequalities btw. Why do people trot this out as though we wouldn't be aware of it?

I see that the "shouted at on bus" thread has more anecdotes (unconnected with buses, or pushchairs) but always included random old people (remember to specify the "old" or there'll be no cried of "I'd have told the fucking bitch to fucking fuck off!" ) shouting at people.

On the face of it, both people shouting at others were being U. The argument however is already lost when the teller of the tale (and one of them is on the first site stuff thread defending her ageism, so we can't expect she's not scattergunning it all over MN) uses offensive stereotyping to goad even further.

That's interesting about contacting the equalities commission.

I'm going to have a look- what Mumsnet are allowing to happen (through their moderators' own seeming lack of understanding at best, and wilful refusal to deal with it at worst) seems to come under the umbrella of condoning hate speech towards a group of people all of whom havs a protected characteristic.

It's always been made very clear that posters' content on MN belongs to MN. In their rush to assert that, they might want to consider what kind of content exactly they are condoning, and in their refusal to take action, actively supporting.

(thanks @IClaudine for the new thread- I'm sure that as usual- with long running troll threads, we were expected to fill the last one and go away- not happening)

I was being tongue in cheek you’re right 😎 Everything is always resolved with a ‘safe space’. I’m hoping they still exist in 15 years time.

I want MN to delete any offensive slur made against anyone because of their age.

"Many older people have more money than many younger people"

Not ageist.

"Miserable old hag" (on a thread when the OP hadn't even mentioned the perp's age

Ageist.

Etc.

‘Intergenerational inequality’ it’s always inequality unless you are going to inherit it.

Would you say the same about posts/posters that are racist or sexist or ableist or homophobic?

(Oh, and thanks for the new thread @IClaudine)

I think the ageism is ingrained with some posters. On another thread this morning a man of 44 is being referred to as a 'sleazy old perv.' I know that as far as MN is concerned anyone over 50 is tottering to the grave on a zimmer frame, but it does seem to me that some people just use the word 'old' as a casual term of denigration without thinking about it much.

Thanks for new thread.

If that's on the ick thread, the 44 year old slept with his 23 year old ex pupil. Which would be sleazy if it was true, but it's been deleted now as its a troll thread.

I’m absolutely behind the calls for action over ageism on MN. And have many examples of my own. But I am equally conscious that ageism affects ALL ages. It is equally wrong to generalise about ignorant, aggressive youth, or badly behaved, tablet-addicted toddlers”. It’s lazy, and it should be called out.

'Sleaze' is a matter of opinion. The 'old' was the usual casual ageism.

I agree with this, it is nastier. I have seen posts that unashamedly state thsr once we get to a certain age we should be euthsnised or allowed to die because above a certain age we are a drain on society.

I have seen posts that unashamedly state thsr once we get to a certain age we should be euthsnised or allowed to die because above a certain age we are a drain on society

After we've had our properties taken off us, our pensions means tested and we've all been shunted into one bedroom flats, of course.

I thik there's a lot of 'well I'm hidden by a screen so I can be a keyboard warrior and say outrageous things to shock people' bravado in some posts. Unfortunately I think a lot of the posters feel free to use the anonymity to say what they really think and believe.