About people who check into hospitals on Facebook?

[MintyChapstick]

Does anyone else think this is the most attention seeking thing ever? I see it a lot statuses saying things like 'ouch' and a tag to th A and E department of our local hospital? Cue lots of 'u OK Hun?' type messages, sometimes they respond, sometimes they don't. I've got one on my feed this morning, 'In admissions, nil by mouth' with a tag to the local hospital. Lots of comments asking what's wrong, no response but she's managed to share and like lots of other things since she's been admitted... Never mind though, she's got the attention she so desperately seems to crave

I know people are going to say that they can use Facebook as they please, but surely as well attention seeking sharing stuff like that will cause worry to family and friends who can see it and won't know what's wrong?

It's a quick way to let people know where you are and that you are alright or not alright just in case you have to switch your phone off they will perhaps wonder if you might need assistance.

I ignore. I work in a hospital so could check in every day. I think everyone has different reasons for using fb but overall the whole thing is attention seeking but I am always baffled by cryptic ones - hospital check ins fall into this category. Either you want to tell people or you don't. I only have a handful of dfs who do this.

I think it's a useful wayou to share information with a large group of people... so yeah I think YABU

It annoys the crap out of me - it's right up there with taking photos of poorly kids and putting them on FB.

I check in to hospitals but I always put what I am doing there.

YAnbu - as op says can manage to post the bit about being admitted. But then nada!

If a friend of mine does that I seriously consider blocking, don't need drama llamas clogging up the newsfeed

I'm 50/50. Yanbu re posts with hardly any info though.
My DS was admitted to hospital quite suddenly and I put it on FB to tell a large number of people that all plans were out of the window (was DD's school holidays) and so people could pray for him. But I was careful to put an explanation of what was happening so as not to worry anyone unnecessarily.

I agree that ones that check in and then give no update may be seen as attention seeking and worrying to friends and family. However we have just spent 5 months almost solidly in hospital with baby ds who was treated for AML. I put plenty of Facebook posts on linking to the ward and updates about ds for several reasons.
Firstly to raise awareness of the reality of having a child with cancer, secondly to update people so I didn't have to respond to numerous text messages asking how he was doing. Those who thought I was being a drama llama can quite frankly F off.

It's ridiculous and attention seeking and not necessary at all, but that's exactly what Facebook is anyway. And I find pictures of ill children and kids check-ins really off. I'd be extremely pissed off if my DH put a photo of a 'sick' me on Facebook, but kids seem to be fair game.

I agree. No information to guarantee as many 'you ok huns'? as possible. Meh.

So ChicRock for 5 months (actually longer as ds will be classified as 'ill' for 5 years post diagnosis and classed as in full remission) I shouldn't post any pictures of him on Facebook???

Yanbu, very attention seeking. Surely you let people closest to you know by message if it's that serious. The more attention seeking ones are those posting of their kids with drips or Ill in hospital.

I broke my back recently. Checked in as it was a quick way of letting everyone know where I was and that I was ok. No attention seeking, just not really able to hold my phone above my head to send out various messages to people !

Why is wanting a bit of attention when you're sick/injured a bad thing?

I want sympathy and preferably visitors with trashy magazines and fruit/chocs when I'm in hospital, what's wrong with that? I do the same for friends when they're in hospital - but can't unless people know

Why is that a bad thing?

I've never understood it at all. If I was going into hospital and needed to let other people know of my inaccessibility/change of plans, I'd have probably messaged already/on route or if it was urgent and life threatening I'd expect someone else to speak on my behalf - if you've got time to post FB statuses, you've got time to tell the relevant people that you're incapacitated. You hardly need to let you entire 100 friends on FB know, what exactly can they do?

The putting on FB is often seen as needlessly grabby because it implores people to check if you're OK, to which, once being in hospital, you can't really respond to until later thus causing more worry than is necessary for a lot of people, especially those who are "checking in" who have young children/elderly parents.

My friend's Mum is classic for this - she takes her mother up to the hospital multiple times in a month (the mother is a hypochondriac to say the least) and will check in each and every time, cue the brigade who come out in force to ask how she is/is it serious, which results in no answer and suddenly the "urgent trip in A&E really worried" floats off with nothing mentioned or clarified until the next time it happens (about a month later). I gave it my attention twice and then saw the pattern - it's all about sympathy/likes/attention but I've never understood why you'd want attention for being unwell enough to go into hospital.

what exactly can they do?
Lots of things, eg if its a school parent who usually does the pick ups, message their partner and ask if they're okay for school pick ups next week.
Offer dog walking if they have a dog.
Lots of non emergency things aquaintances and friends can do

Adulting - I hear what you're saying - but do all of your FB friends turn up to give you attention once you've posted? And are these people who wouldn't have turned up had it not been for FB letting them know? I find the FB culture encourages people to sound as if they give a shit, but the reality is actually pretty disappointing - you'll get "you okay hun" but normally, that person wouldn't think twice about dropping you a message. I think it makes things like hospital admissions and times of crisis more depressing!

To be fair I did type "wasn't expecting this today. Broken back, waiting to see if it's stable. Hopefully home tomorrow" not a vague tag and no explaination.

YABU

It's an easy way of letting lots of people know something you want them to know. If you don't want that information about your friend, then you probably aren't their friend so should not be following them.

The only thing I don't like is the vague statuses, but invariably people who post things like that are not on my friends list for long.

I probably didn't need to tell 100's but probably more than just one. One message was much easier in my position than several.