My case for four topics GAG needs to add.

[smahala1991]

Recently, A question has been asked here about which new topics we would like to see on GAG. There are quite a few topics that have been added over the years like Travel and leisure, Food and Beverage, Sports, Trending and news, and even sexual topics. Some of these topics were spun off from other topics. Though, in my opinion, there are four big topics I feel like would be very beneficial to the GAG universe, and I feel like would be a great outlet to showcase.

1. Mental Health

With so much going on in the world today, our mental health is paramount to take care of. It is also vital to connect with others for support that may have the same experiences, or may just be a comforting support system to listen to and give an empathetic ear. The anonymous feature would be very useful here as it would make the users feel safe and secure from facing embarrassment and harassment.

2. Fiction (Poetry and Stories)

This would be a great topic on so many levels. For one it would be a great topic to ask a question about book recommendations or authors. Secondly, The Mytake feature would allow a topic for those who want to take advantage to write a piece of poetry or a short story they may want to share their feelings. Lastly, It could also be an outlet for GAG to have other competitions such as poetry slams and short story contests like they did with the Caption this photo competition back during Halloween.

3. Animals and Pets

A lot of us if not most of us have pets. Some of us may work on farms or animal rescue as well. This would be a great topic to post about questions about animal care or even just questions about wildlife as well. The Mytake feature here could also be beneficial if someone wants to write a guide on taking care of animals or their experiences with wildlife or zoology as well.

4.Hobbies and interests

Technically, this and Fiction could go under Entertainment and arts. But it also would be a great standalone topic on its own. There are a lot of subtopics that this could go with like Anime, Books, Sports (which is already a topic), Cosplay, culture, music, painting, cooking, and so many others. Entertainment and arts is a great topic, but I do sometimes feel like giving other topics like Hobbies and Interests and Fiction would make a more specific audience and a better chance of questions and mytakes to be seen.

So GAG, Please take into consideration of the four cases I bring in front of you. I do feel like Mental health however is the most paramount of the topics you can offer because it would definitely be a huge opportunity to give solace and support for those of us who might need it.

#NewGAGtopics #Mentalhealthmatters

[NevadaTruth]

On the mental health one: I think its a good suggestion. We can't live our lives listening to feminazis all the time who want to shut people down on the basis of being 'offended'. Of course it would need to be handled carefully, inasmuch as careless comments should be removed. But as someone who has been through an awful lot of pain, I would have appreciated a place to reach out to people. In the worst case when someone has lost their senses about the survival question, talking with people can be an enormous help in the moment, and more long-term things can help with reassurances and the display of empathy.

At the same time, Girls Ask Guys (I've been a member before, just couldnt recover my login!) is already a place where sensitive questions can be discussed. So it already is a place where people respond to social issues. In my time here a few years ago, I found GaG to be perhaps the least hostile, most gentle place on the internet. I found very little 'abuse' at all. The very occasional hostility that may occur, will do so in real life anyway. Here though you can reach out (and anonymously, for those who care).

Also, the argument that people are not qualified... well sure, and people should know that this doesn't replace therapy. That message could be placed prominently in the forum. From my experiences though, it is more important to be able to talk about problems, than feel that you can't at all because people dont have certificates.

In any case, won't the advice received often include, among other things, talking to people in their circle? There are arguments for and against, but dont the most reserved people still need to start somewhere?

As for the other suggestions for topics, seems good to me, BUT: We dont want Girls Ask Guys to veer too far off the point of intergender discussion. How many places are there for girls and boys, men and women to conciliate their positions and promote understanding between the genders? Im crazy about animals though, and I know others are too.

[NathanDavis]

Mental Health should NOT be a category on this site... it could cause a whole lot more damage and very little help to be honest

Mental Health issues are about the most complicated, complex and burdening issues out there and we should NOT make it worse by giving more chances for awful people to exploit and target the most vulnerable people...

a forum site online where being anon is an option offers no guarantees for safety, and what is even more important, PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO DEAL WITH mental health challenges should not be messing with people who actually need proper and professional care

it is not a good idea at all... "having good intentions" is not enough, yes, it does help and it is a nice thing but it is definitely not a realistic approach

[PrettyPriya]

I am going to copy/paste what I posted as a reply to my opinion on admins question about topics.

I am going to follow this up with an argument against a specific choice. I see quite a few mentioning “Mental Health” as a good topic. I think this is an absolutely terrible idea. Here is why.

Who here is QUALIFIED to deal with people with real mental health problems? How many users here would exploit someone talking about their issues? How many trolls would just love to make a situation worse to make themselves feel better?

While I fully support those that have mental health problems getting the treatment they deserve, it needs to be done by a professional, not a random GaG user that is not qualified. Even just “talking” about the issue isn’t going to help. One wrong opinion and……

Not to mention if mods or admins move a question to Mental Health and that user gets extremely offended because they don’t think they have mental health issues. The downside to this topic is endless.

@Agape93 can tell you that being able to go anon won’t do a thing. Anon does not stop harassment. It does not block your feelings from getting hurt. It also, if anything, makes it worse because others can go anon, harass and none of us mods will know who they are.

[Agape93]

Exactly. And comments by and large are ignored by admin. A few months into me being on here a guy threatened to rape and kill me. I reported it. Admin did nothing about it. When they finally said something, 2 years when by and I had to tell them about it. Anon, all it does, is let people fuck around with far more ease. That's all it does.

[Ms_Facesitter]

I really like the suggestions. Although poetry you could put that under hobbies. If poetry is a topic, then why not painting, hiking, collecting, etc..., right?
And mental health. I am not sure about that. I don't think that many of us are therapists and quite a few hostile people who try to break down the already broken some people who need mental health block you when you try to help.
Distress comes from a problem and usually we put that trouble in one of the existing question topics... I think that "Mental Health" would turn into a soup of all topics that GAG has.

[TroyDT2]

1, Not, unless there is a way to moderate the comments before they are posted. Too many trolls and other jerks on here who would get themselves off by tormenting people who were seeking genuine help. I can see some of those POS telling suicidal people to "just do it."

2,3,4 Yes.

[DermalPunch]

Ok so mental health is fine under health and fitness.

I really don't want to hear about anybody acting like taking care of an animal is the same as raising a kid because IT'S NOT! And this site is about humans.

I really love the fiction idea but I think it isn't really on brand for GAG.

Hobbies & Interests... meh.

I like this post but I think they're a bit redundant minus the fiction one.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

Yes, add yours they are needed

[Sevenpointfive]

add them please

[msc545]

Yes - all of those, but they won't.

[artsy_dragon]

I agree