Where is everybody?
So I was pretty active listening several years ago when, if I recall correctly, there would be like 80,000 requests handled per week. I dropped out for a while but came back about 4 or 5 months ago for a couple of weeks and the number of requests had dropped to around 45,000, if I recall well. I figured it was just around the start of summer so maybe that's why the number was so low so I dropped out again and figured I'd try again later. Now I check again and the weekly number is 37,000, and the queue has maybe 2 or 3 people waiting, sometimes none, at a time of day when typically there would have been 20 or 30 requests in the past.
So what did I miss? Is the model now mostly to send people to the online therapists, and no longer utilize the volunteer listeners? Or has something else happened? Can someone please enlighten me?
Guests can no longer request chats or join in group chatrooms, so that cut down some.
It's more difficult to make an account compared to when I joined. I don't know what's required, but at minimum my understanding is a working email address so a confirmation email can be accepted.
Members no longer have unlimited chat requests. The details of this haven't been shared that I'm aware of, but the limitation is daily as far as I know.
@AffyAvo Thanks for the update.
I guess that just brings up another question - why be a listener if there is no one to listen to? I'm sure 7cups must have another model they are following. It's just too bad for all the listeners who liked coming here and helping people, even if only in a small way.
@azuleyes
You can support members in other places while you wait for a chat request - the forums and the group chatrooms.
@HopieRemi
Forums and group chat rooms are not at all a similar experience to supporting someone directly - there is a reason I never participated in either when I was active - frankly, they are boring :).
In any case, I think it's pretty clear there is no real role for volunteer listeners on 7cups any more, which is OK. 7cups has its own model of how to proceed, and clearly filtering of members is an important part of that, for reasons having perhaps to do with the more corporate audience it is seeking for its services.
@azuleyes
To everyone, their own preferences. :) You can also look to join in roles on 7cups.
@azuleyes Some of the changes were to decrease trolling and harassing behaviors.
Listeners are still needed. There are different ways to connect, the classifieds in the forums can be a good way for people to find a good M-L match.
@AffyAvo
I understand about the trolling and harassment issues - it is a problem on all social media sites. It's too bad that it seems like almost half the members here were trolling or harassing, at least based on the reduced number of people helped each week.
I actually liked the highly dynamic nature of the experience before, when there would be 20 or 30 people looking for help and you never knew exactly who you would be getting. But, you are right, the classifieds is a better way of finding a good match, which I'm sure was a problem for many members, at least based on the number of complaints I have seen about poor listeners.
Unfortunately to chat at specific dates and times doesn't match my schedule - it was much more convenient to simple login when I had an hour or two and help who ever was needing help at that moment. Those days are gone, as am I, but it's all OK - and maybe best for those members remaining who truly need help and were not just trolling or harassing.
@azuleyes Yeah, I understand the flexible nature of just picking up s chat when you're free. Sometimes the queue has people in it who have been waiting, so you csn always check when you have time.
Hi! It's absolutely still possible to help people. Even with numbers down. I've only been a listener for 2 weeks now and I've helped a great amount of people, and still am. I've noticed on weekends, the chat queue does get longer than I usually see throughout the week.
@azuleyes well, there are enough chats around and well it's a good thing i suppose as they are not overwhelming requests
Oddly, I've always been thinking that listeners must be horribly busy. When I browse the listeners list, most of what I see is 'Sorry, I'm not taking any member chats' or 'Sorry, I'm on a break right now'. I've been trying to find listeners in my own language, but there are almost none - and those I actually have talked with were not a good match or just too sick themselves to feel like they could be leaned on.
As for the numbers... potentially, people are turning to chat bots more (not Noni, real ones), as those do not write things in their bios to discourage people from contacting them, maybe... and as you cannot burden a bot, or inadvertently offend it, or overwhelm it.
@cloudySummer
Agree all the time teen side people say why there no listeners ? Waiting 30 minutes or more try find one and same thing see in bios all not take new chats
is not enough listeners at least teen side and that seem main reason new people join cups
As a member, I often request a chat and end up waiting so long that I just give up.
The little pop up comes that asks if you would like to keep waiting or leave a message appears more regularly than an actual listener.
@azuleyes Hi Azuleys. I heard that previously due to the pandemic, many turn to online support platforms. Could this be a reason why chats are decreasing?
@azuleyes
Some people had mentioned a shortage of listeners. That may indeed be the case. Perhaps the fact that now members have to pay for unlimited chat requests, but volunteer listeners continue to provide their services for free has turned off some listeners and they have left the platform. I don't know - me, it doesn't bother.
But I can certainly see how the premium fee would have driven many members away - those from poorer nations around the world or those just lacking in funds in general (typical of those with mental health issues). If you happen to luck out and don't find a compatible listener right away, I imagine you could exhaust your free requests. Such a platform would be frustrating to deal with especially during a period of personal crisis. I'm not sure 7cups really took such people into consideration when introducing their premium policy.
I do know that currently the member queue waiting for listeners is totally empty. And please don't gaslight me and tell me there are still lots of members - I know something fundamental has changed when member requests go from 80,000 several years ago to under 37,000 last week.
I do wish everyone remaining here the best, and hope that the platform can somehow revive itself, but for now to me it seems dead. I really miss the dynamic atmosphere from several years ago - I met many interesting members and had many meaningful conversations. Adios for now - maybe I'll try again in a year or so...
@azuleyes
There is no premium for paying for "unlimited" requests. Premium is just more paths.
@HopieRemi Check out the premium information. There are more 1-1 requests listed there. I can't verify the accuracy personally.
Ie.
I have brought up my concern regarding verified status for listeners listed under premium which is a mistake.
@AffyAvo
Interesting, I have never seen this before.
@azuleyes I can't talk about how it was here "years ago" since I've only been here since mid-2022... What I can say is that I've searched for a Listener more than once. I've left messages that were never responded to, more than once. Perhaps one reason for the lack of a queue is because not that many Listeners are available at a given time.
I've also had run-ins with poorly skilled Listeners, in one of the Forums as well as in 1-to-1 chat. One of the problems 7Cups has is that the Listener "training" is incredibly easy to pass. This issue has been documented on at least one other mental health-related website I've seen so far. Some of the Listeners here clearly should never have been certified, for various reasons. This may well be another factor behind the lower numbers you cited.
