Bonjour lecteurs? Do you regularly take part in online forums where you can vent about anything and everything? Are you actually a member, posting threads and asking for help? Or are you more of a lurker? I am not an active user but like many of us, I have clicked on the odd occasion and entered the world of pure strangers in a few seconds. I feel that they are pretty common nowadays and I never felt like I was intrusive as people posted on there to their own acceptance. A new anonymous venting site has recently launched, where you can have a rant and feel better after. What are the pros & cons of online forums?
It’s Good To Form A Community
I am a strong believer that humans are social creatures and therefore, that’s what keeps us going. We are born to seek relationships and interact with others.
Online forums are just a modern way to do so and it can really help you build a communité. It can be really hard as a first-time mum and I think it’s amazing that you can connect online and talk to other people even if they are not in your région.
It’s also great to have someone you can connect with. It can give you a sense of belonging, even if it sounds like just a silly rant. Personnellement, I gained such a feeling of belonging when I started my blog. I found lots other mums that became friends in real life via Instagram par exemple.
A Way To Express Your Feeling
The new platform I mentioned earlier is all about having a rant and it looks quite inoffensive pour être honnête.
Did you have a bad day? Or someone made a comment about your outfit? Is your other-half just annoying and your bestie is not around for you to vent and listen to your wows? Then, log on and type it all. It will feel good to take it all out, yet no one gets hurt.
No harm done, you can get someone to giggle at the other end of the country and you will feel better!
Connect With Like-Minded People
Online forums often work around a specific topic or aimed at people who have something in common with you. You can find one that is for you and you may find a lot of help from other members.
Personnellement, I like reading a mums group from time to time. It makes me smile to see parents wondering the same questions about their children and I often realised that we pretty much have fears in common.
We are all worried about kids doing well at school. Or what to think about pick up time and to do behave with other mums etc. Last week, I read a thread and I was so glad to see that I was not the only one who sometimes felt like the total outsider among school mums.
A Reassuring Space & An Escape
Not only online forums are a great place to connect with others and get your emotions out without feeling judged or negative, but it can also be a reassuring space. I think it’s only humain to doubt yourself sometimes, especially when you are a mum!
So it’s always good to seek help advice or help from others that might have been through the same before you. It gives une perspective différente.
It also provides you with a place to escape from your daily life. To escape all the boring bit of my daily existence, I love going for a walk. It helps me to reflect. I sometimes go with a friend and I always feel better after we bounced idées. I feel so much energised and happy. Butb sometimes, you might not want your loved ones to know what is in your mind.
Seeking Advice Anonymously
That’s why online forums are also handy because, unlike other social media platforms like Facebook or Linkedin, you can post or reply anonymously.
But then again, would you like pure strangers to give you advice on a problème personnel? I suppose it’s a good way to have an objective view, especially if it concerns a family matter and you could do with some perspective.
Plus, it is a non-judgmental space for you to express some idées that might not necessarily be populaires. After all, we all have the right to express our feelings some way or another.
Having said that, many celebrities gossips have sometimes felt more like hate and I understand why some people would like to distance themselves from them…
Like many other exemples on the web, online forums can be a great sources of ideas and support for mums who might sometimes feel lonely. It’s never easy to navigate motherhood. I know very well that when I started that new chapter in my life, it was a bit confusing and so doubting at times. People among your entourage often want to help, give their opinion and hurt you as a result. I don’t see any harms in venting online and share your misadventures with strangers if that makes you feel better, as long as you are ready to deal with the answers.
Collaboration.
