Would you report this ? To who? Is it a safeguarding issue?

[concernedaboutthings]

For a few years I’ve followed a page as my dd has the same conditions of the person (it’s social media run by the persons mum). At first it was helpful to be in the group as someone going through similar.

Over the last few months it seems to be too much, Intimate details about medical things and listing appts ahead of them time and location etc , photos of the person when clearly very unwell sometimes and it feels intrusive. I’ve left the group but there are a huge amount of followers (referred to as ‘fans’ ) and something seems wrong. I don’t think it’s intentional maybe misguided but is it still a safeguarding issue as giving such intimate detail plus real time location name of college etc ? Do I just leave it that I’ve left the group or do I report to someone ?

Sadly you only need to look at Instagram (as one example) and you can find people and their children with all sorts of illnesses, oversharing under the guise of sharing experiences and often making money of it, either by sharing products that help or setting up go fund me accounts

Cancer Influencers are a big thing?

I don't know who you would report it to, the college maybe? Just make them aware

It makes me sad to see ill people being exploited like this for internet points. I do get posting about your own illness for solidarity and support from others that you may not otherwise meet, the internet is great for that sort of thing. But parents posting about their kids gives me the heebie jeebies a bit. I spent a bit too much time going down the "Munchausen's via internet" rabbit hole though so that might be clouding my view.

I wouldn't know who to report it to though, as it doesn't seem to fall outside of any laws.

It's awful, how old is the person, personally I'd report it to the college safeguarding lead or head of pastoral care, have they consented to being on sm.

Late teens

19 I think

It’s def all genuine conditions it’s just the constant real time location updates and the photos when she is looking so unwell and vulnerable it felt intrusive so I had to leave the group

It’s just that vulnerability and trust and how these people are referred to as fans and she calls them that too as she posts on the page sometimes. If just one of those 6k followers aren’t a good person they know her exact whereabouts and she would trust people who say they are a fan it just worries me even after leaving the page that it’s putting someone at risk ?

If you feel anyone is at risk or encouraging unsafe behaviour you can report the group to their admin moderator and the college safeguarding lead, presumably college are aware of her illness and support her.

Oh of course, I don't doubt the conditions are real in this case. I only mentioned the Munchy thing because I think normalisation of people being chronically online has lead to that sort of damaging behaviour. With posting about an ill person, at what point does it stop being about genuine support for the poorly person, and start being about attention for the person running the SM account? It's a weird line to blur.

I've been really ill, I know the last thing I'd want is my most vulnerable moments posted online for all to see.

Some of the photos after surgeries have been heartbreaking. The level of detail about other things too it is just so personal it’s too much and when someone has learning disabilities it must be harder for them to give consent for those kind of things and it made me so uncomfortable I’ve left the group but something in the back of my mind feels concerned ?

The 19 year old would likely be classed as a vulnerable adult under safeguarding, you can report online and anonymously to your local authority which should have a multi agency team to review the situation. I would do that. I recently reported something similar due to information I received at work, the mum was struggling to care for an adult son, and with the report it triggered contact from the GP, Adult mental health services and for me, the relief that I didn’t stand by and do nothing.