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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Why is ageism accepted/tolerated on MN?

102 replies

IntermittentFarting · 15/04/2024 10:48

I reported a post earlier today that the poster actually prefaced with "Sorry for an ageist post..."
wherein elderly people were moaned about for having the temerity to go shopping and stubbornly pissing everyone off with their very existence.
After a while I had an acknowledgement about my report, and saying that MN would take a look.

Well... it's still there.

Whether or not the post is ageist is not up for debate: the poster themselves even said it was, and intentionally posted an acknowledged ageist post.

Can you tell me why MN accepts ageism?

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CaptainMyCaptain · 15/04/2024 10:53

I know. Certain people obviously fail to acknowledge that, all being well, they will eventually get older. At which time they will presumably hide themselves away and hope not to annoy anybody too much (having sold their property and given it away obviously).

MorrisZapp · 15/04/2024 10:53

Because ageing is a fact of life and over a lifetime, humans change.

kelsaycobbles · 15/04/2024 10:54

Aging is a fact of life doesn't mean that it's ok to make negative generalisations based on age

IntermittentFarting · 15/04/2024 10:55

MorrisZapp · 15/04/2024 10:53

Because ageing is a fact of life and over a lifetime, humans change.

Not sure I get what you mean @MorrisZapp .
Ageing is a fact of life, how does that excuse ageism?

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HappiestSleeping · 15/04/2024 10:55

I've never held youth and inexperience against any of these young whipper snappers 😉

CaptainMyCaptain · 15/04/2024 10:56

MorrisZapp · 15/04/2024 10:53

Because ageing is a fact of life and over a lifetime, humans change.

How is that an excuse for ageism?

MorrisZapp · 15/04/2024 11:02

Every medic, sociologist, political pollster and marketing department know that a 30 year old and a 70 year old are not the same. Broadly, they have different priorities, tastes, and opinions. It's not ageist to notice this.

I'm 52 and ticking every menopausal box going. I'm not 30 any more, my life is that of a middle aged woman. This is just life, not a value judgement or prejudice.

Both of my grannies wore 'granny shoes', as did every single one of their peers. Its not ageist to notice demographics.

CaptainMyCaptain · 15/04/2024 11:04

MorrisZapp · 15/04/2024 11:02

Every medic, sociologist, political pollster and marketing department know that a 30 year old and a 70 year old are not the same. Broadly, they have different priorities, tastes, and opinions. It's not ageist to notice this.

I'm 52 and ticking every menopausal box going. I'm not 30 any more, my life is that of a middle aged woman. This is just life, not a value judgement or prejudice.

Both of my grannies wore 'granny shoes', as did every single one of their peers. Its not ageist to notice demographics.

That's not what ageism is though.

MorrisZapp · 15/04/2024 11:06

Please explain what it is then, as it applies to mumsnet threads?

IntermittentFarting · 15/04/2024 11:07

You clearly don't know what ageism is, @MorrisZapp . It is not the mere acknowledgement that differently aged people are different.

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AIstolemylunch · 15/04/2024 11:10

I'm 52 and don't act or feel much different to when I was 30, so ageism is assumptions that all people of a certain n age act a certain way, for me.

It harmful when you're working full time as it gives people, predominantly younger men in my industry, the excuse not to promote you or pay you the same. They subconsciously write you off because they think all 50y olds are slowing down, which is obviously nonsense.

IntermittentFarting · 15/04/2024 11:10

@MorrisZapp It is the (actually illegal in employment settings) unfair discrimination based solely on age; it's stereotyping, bullying, assumptions of ability...

Different sexes and races exist; does that excuse sexism and racism to you?

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MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/04/2024 11:12

Casual ageism is shockingly bad on MN.

ilovesooty · 15/04/2024 11:17

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/04/2024 11:12

Casual ageism is shockingly bad on MN.

You're expected to challenge it on the thread - MNHQ has said so. In my experience ageism will get deleted if it involves really insulting language but quite a lot of casual ageism is still allowed to stand.

IntermittentFarting · 15/04/2024 11:18

I have challenged on the thread @ilovesooty , but to no avail!

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blackice · 15/04/2024 11:42

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ilovesooty · 15/04/2024 11:54

IntermittentFarting · 15/04/2024 11:18

I have challenged on the thread @ilovesooty , but to no avail!

Oh I wasn't suggesting you hadn't. It's often a thankless task isn't it?

ilovesooty · 15/04/2024 11:55

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Agreed - and often on other boards as well. When I've reported it, sometimes it's removed and sometimes it isn't.

Readrec · 15/04/2024 11:57

Ageism

Giggorata · 15/04/2024 12:12

Once again, people are saying that the very real erosion of women's rights and safeguardings is transphobia. It isn't.

And trying to equate “transphobia” with ageism doesn't work either.

Older people don't go round inserting themselves into places and activities that are reserved for younger people, mainly for safeguarding reasons.
(Do we see them in schools, nurseries, playgrounds, etc? No.)

What older people do is go about the world in public spaces, just like everyone else. Perhaps a bit more slowly, some of them. Perhaps a bit dottier, or moany or whatever.
None of these grievous faults are exclusive to older people.

So the ageist people are acting the way that the trans activists wrongly accuse gender critical people of doing.
They are judgemental and prejudiced about a group of people that differ from them, who have the right to be in a public space, implying that they do not have those rights and shouldn't be there.

Just wait until they get old…

HebeMumsnet · 15/04/2024 12:14

Afternoon, everyone.

This is a topic that has come up a few times recently and our stance on it hasn't really changed but this is where we have landed for the moment:

Generally speaking, while we do delete posts that we think are offensive, or designed to be so, we try not to take a blanket approach to terms or points of view. As a discussion site, Mumsnet has always hosted a broad range of perspectives so coming across views that do not chime with your own or that you find offensive is inevitable to some extent.

There is always the option to hide a thread from yourself, of course, but we do encourage people to directly address such posts on the threads in the spirit of free and open discussion. Who knows - you might offer someone a perspective they hadn't considered and lead them to rethink their post. If you think a post breaks our guidelines, however, please do report it to us. We're always happy to take a look and will consider each post on its merits (or demerits).

While we will delete ageist posts that we consider to be deliberately inflammatory, for example, or where age is being used as a personal attack, we tend to have quite a high bar for deletion where widely accepted and widely used langauge is concerned - terms such as 'snowflake' or 'boomers' for example. However, it is something that we are still considering and we aren't ruling out a change to our policy in the future, once we get to a point where we feel the majority of people understand the potential problems with some of these terms.

For now, we don't think it would be in the interests of good discussion or good moderation to delete every post where terms like these or generational difference is mentioned. We'd prefer to keep conversation flowing where possible, and perhaps help to change persepctives, too, rather than simply delete.

Mylovelygreendress · 15/04/2024 12:15

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/04/2024 11:12

Casual ageism is shockingly bad on MN.

I agree especially the references to Boomers which are not done in an affectionate way but rather sarcastic .
Apparently us Boomers had life so much easier ……

IntermittentFarting · 15/04/2024 12:18

@HebeMumsnet
Did you read my post or the post I was referring to?
The poster themselves says their post is ageist!!

I mean, how fucking high a bar do you need? Age is a protected characteristic, so why are you allowing patent, blatant and self confessed ageism?

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IntermittentFarting · 15/04/2024 12:19

And @HebeMumsnet if it's coming up repeatedly as you say, perhaps MN has the wrong approach?

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