Pictures of sick child in hospital on FB?

[TheWomanWhoMisplacedHerHusband]

Close-up shots of very sick child sleeping/with drip in arms/trying to smile for camera with balloons people have given them with updates like 'thanks for the balloon they cheered her up a bit' taken by parents have come up on my feed (they don't know what's wrong with child yet).
Aibu to be a bit shocked at these?

I can completely understand the desire of parents to share their family news on Facebook and of course they have that right whether it makes others feel uncomfortable or not. However, I am a little uneasy about the rights of children not to have their most vulnerable moments captured online for the rest of their lives. Depending on their age, they may feel uncomfortable with such a wide section of people seeing them at their lowest ebb and when they're older they might resent the photos being available to anyone but those they choose to show them to.

" I stand by what I said. Putting pictures on fb of your sick children is attention seeking. What else is it then?? Up dating a status is fine, good way to let everyone know what's going on a once. But photos why? As I said the poor children probably don't want them all over fb. Would you??"

Yes you have already made this point- I asked if you told your friend if you felt that they was 'attention seeking'?

This couple uploaded about 12 pictures in 3 days which did seem excessive.

Because words don't paint the whole picture. An image can often say what words can't. When Ds was recovering the pic of him smiling in bed said so much more than words could.

I stick by if you are going to judge someone for that then don't be friends with them on facebook as you are obviously not a supportive friend.

"I guess I just wouldn't even think to be on the Internet at all if I had just rushed my child to hospital"

Have you spent much time in hospital? Even if the doctors are rushing around, the patient and family usually spend a lot of time just sitting around doing fuck all.

DS2 went into heart failure at 10 days. Webwere rushed across the country so he could have surgery.
We updated family and friends via fb as there was no mobile signal in hdu and, get this, I didn't want to leave my very sick child.
If people think it's attention seeking, fine - DS2 had a little more attention at that stage in his life than any of us would have wanted.

I can understand people wanting to share information with good friends and family but to publish such intensely personal pictures to acquaintances is not something I would do. Often, FB is a godsend to avoid having to answer loads of calls and texts asking for updates, no?

I have a friend with a sick child who always posts about her daughter's treatment and her related lack of sleep. There messages I, and others, post are all supportive. But she would not want vague acquaintances knowing.

Perhaps the problem is the oversharing aspect where FB posters need to narrow down their audience. Though, with a sick child, I can see why this won't have crossed their minds...

However, I am a little uneasy about the rights of children not to have their most vulnerable moments captured online for the rest of their lives. Depending on their age, they may feel uncomfortable with such a wide section of people seeing them at their lowest ebb and when they're older they might resent the photos being available to anyone but those they choose to show them to.

This is what I was trying to say, but you put it much better than me!

If you are worried about the rights of children you don't publish any photos of them at any point.

Ermm, of course they are attention seeking.

They are seeking their support networks attention so that people they care about, and who care for them, can send messages of support. It is good (IMO) to see a picture of a child you care about when ill so that you can feel closer if you are far away.

The alternative is dozens of phone calls, far more emotionally draining, time consuming and not practical.

If it is only an acquaintance rather than a good friend, just ignore it FFS.

Yep - hide the updates etc if this is just an acquaintance.

And, meant to say, write something supportive if this is a good friend!

Did you post lots of close up pics weebarra?

I hope your ds is ok

YABU, FB can be a great source of support and comfort when you have a sick child. You feel quite isolated in hospital, quite often you are awake all night with worry or because tests/treatment is being done all through the night. It is easier to keep people updated rather than sending loads of individual texts.

As an adult who spent lots of time in ITU aged 7, I would be bloody mortified if my patents had posted the pictures of me with the world on facebook!!!! I'm so glad my parents didn't have Facebook and weren't so blasé with my privacy whilst I was lying there recovering from major heart surgery! YANBU

The alternative is dozens of phone calls, far more emotionally draining, time consuming and not practical.

Or you could just write an update? Without 10 close up shots of said sick child trying to rest. Easy really

By the attention seeking logic, surely any photo is just that?

Look what a great time I'm having on holiday!

Look at my lovely new car!

Look at my lovely new house!

I got married recently, look at my dress!

And so on and so forth.

It is possible to restrict which group of people see images.

Personally if I see a picture a friend has posted of their sick child I think "Oh no, hope they are ok!", not, "Hmmph stop attention seeking."

If you don't like it, like so much else in life, don't look. Hide the poster from your news feed.

TheWoman - can I suggest until you have been in the position you stop being so judgemntal? And at the same time defriend this person as you obviously don't care if you are willing to slag of how the deal with a horrible time.

It is easier to keep people updated rather than sending loads of individual texts

Again, don't have a problem with updates, just lots of pictures of child?

The child is about 6 or 7 so probably doesn't really understand why her parents are taking the pics and who will see them.

I don't think the op deserves some of the responses here. She's clearly just questioning something - that's allowed, its how we educate ourselves and form opinions. I hate that everything has to be so carefully thought out these days

Personally if I see a picture a friend has posted of their sick child I think "Oh no, hope they are ok!", not, "Hmmph stop attention seeking.

Never said or thought they were attention seeking. More concerned for the child being shown to lots of randoms without knowing.

As people have explained OP, it's part of the parents coping mechanism.

Thanks paper

More concerned for the child being shown to lots of randoms without knowing.

So you object to any photo of any child on facebook then?

No, as I stated, children at their most vulnerable and sick