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?

Adulting - I hear what you're saying - but do all of your FB friends turn up to give you attention once you've posted?

When I was badly injured a couple of years ago it was actualy people who wouldn't have been on my immediate emergency text list who were dropping round freezer food and other help.
They knew because of facebook
They weren't all in my "inner circle", so yes, they wouldn't have heard otherwise.

I had one pop up not long ago. Someone checking themselves into the local hospital with a status beside it saying something about attempting suicide. Part of me felt a bit sad for this person but the other part felt there was really no need to post it on social media unless it was all for attention. There was then follow up tags about getting stitches removed etc for the next few weeks and now nothing. Usual pictures and status' about tv programmes and Friday nights out...

Similarly when I've been bereaved, it wasn't the people who I expected who were the greatest support.

But couldn't those things be arranged offline whereby you (hypothetical you btw) can give more information rather than needlessly worrying people? People worry, even if someone says "I'm fine" - especially when kids are concerned. I also think putting stuff on FB actually ends up generating more work for the sick patient/parent/partner because they then have to individually answer all the messages/calls that normally end up pouring in, thus kind of rendering the whole "blanket" FB status redundant.

TBH, I think for situations like you're describing Adult most people (including I) don't have an issue with - people who are genuinely trying to reach out - it's more the people who relentlessly check every minute detail of their lives onto FB that most have the issue with.

YANBU

It's bloody childish.

It's one thing to check in and tell people why, but it's quite another to start with the vaguebooking attention seeking bollocks.

but the other part felt there was really no need to post it on social media unless it was all for attention

But I don't get why that's not valid?
Don't we all need a bit of extra attention when we're low?
What's wrong with letting the stiff upper lip front drop?

Yep how annoying! After loads of "omg hope you're okay, whats happened??" comments they'll usually say to one or two people "pm'd you".

Bugger off.

I agree vaguebooking is wank

but if it's not cryptic, I don't see the problem with seeking a bit of attention when you're poorly

Especially reaching out about the likes of a suicide attempt

Adulting - in which case, I'm really glad you got the support from the unexpected and it worked in your favour I hope you are better now. I'm not disagreeing with you btw, simply suggesting another side - you clearly have good FB friends around you, whereas a lot of people may use FB differently.

That maybe so missy. But it doesn't mean that everyone who puts up a status in a hospital is attention seeking. For me, once the status was up people commented on that not extra texts etc, so once I was discharged I was able to reply on the status to everyone with the details. Plus once I was able to sit up, I was quite glad of the distraction!

The beauty of technology is we can all use it for whatever means we decide work for us.

I was thinking the same earlier about MN. People post " I'm not well shall I go to A&E as they have eg severe headaches, stoke symptoms, injuries etc etc.

Well meaning people, including myself, give them advice to go to A&E and then the OP says "I don't drive, I'm worried they will fob me off, but I'm going on holiday tomorrow" and continue to shilly shally then nothing. No update, no thanks for advice. I sometimes wonder have they died and would it have been prevented if they used some common sense in the first place?

I agree to about the vague status' that's pointless. But a quick message to say "waiting on an X-ray on my foot, stupid me tripped up a curb ", (for example) is pretty straight forward and harms no one.

I get friends checking in at airports, pubs, spas, theatres etc all the time. It's a bit too "look at me; my life is so much more interesting than yours" for my liking, but that's mostly what Facebook is for, I guess! Showing off!

I have never checked in to anywhere on Facebook. I don't actually know how it's done, to be honest!

facebook algorhythims also can mean you miss the detail, text statuses tend to not display to a lot of friends

someone I know appeared to vague check in in hospital recently, I went on her actual page and beneath that there was a text status about her disease actiing up that I hadn't seen on my newsfeed.

And some people just vague book.. I delete/hide them though

Muskateers - tbh, I think it depends on how you use FB and how your friends expect you to use it also. I've not said it's attention seeking btw, in fact I've repeatedly said that for non-cryptic statuses, it can be beneficial (see Adults experience, and your own).

My point (and I think the point of the topic in general) is that vague, cryptic statuses that offer nothing other than confusion and/or worry are the bugbear here. My personal opinion is that I'd not use FB to highlight a trip to the hospital, no matter how serious unless it was an ongoing thing I wanted to raise awareness for (e.g. PP with DD with AML), but I fully respect other people do and would want to, to make it easier for themselves/partners/children. I was simply asking how it made it easier - now you and Adult have given examples, I can see that posting on FB really does depend on your audience

That's the difference between the people who have their friends on their Facebook and people who collect a heap of acquaintances and randoms.

If my friends are in hospital then I want to know , if it's a random I'll never know .

I have a relative who is a massive hypochondriac, she absolutely loves to FB check in at hospitals with her and her daughter to see what mystery disease/blood test/urine sample the doctors will fail to diagnose this time. (Very hard to diagnose when it’s in your head).

Oh she suffers and doesn’t everyone know it. In great detail and at length with changing symptoms and movable aches and pains.

Totally agree. It's very much about how and when you use your fb. Any kind of vague status on fb to me is pointless, either post it or don't. But I guess for others it's just a knee jerk post. To each his own. The benefit of being able to scroll past anything that isn't of interest to you. (Like I do with the jogging posts showing routes and times )

I think it's the vague booking that is the issue here. Checking into hospital stating you are there because of x is fine with an update whenever possible. It's the ones similar to the OPs example that boil my loss. And they ALWAYS come from a certain type of person who will also, as someone else highlighted earlier, write other vague statuses such as "Can't believe some people " leading to "what's up hunni?" type comments which invariably then get ignored.

Yadnbu op. It's the height of attention seeking twatty behaviour to check in with this sort of status and then make it clear you are ignoring people by posting or commenting on mindless crap in the mean time without an update

My bloody SIL checks herself into her bloody bed every other day with whatever imaginary illness happens to befall her that day. It's painful. And the same people "What's up hun?" her every single time. Her medical terminology is encylopedic too - I've never known a person with so many long term and life-threatening conditions who manages to alternate 'in bed dying' with 'in town having coffee and cake' with such regularity!

I hate this with a passion.

Fair enough to get a message out to lots of people all in one go but NOT when its attention seeking - which IMO most of it is.

I was 'friends' with a girl on FB up till very recently and she is a drama queen with a capital Q. Her statuses annoyed me and the final straw was the one I woke up too of....

"OMG I am in bits, DS has not woken up this morning, tried resuscitating but nothing, waiting for ambulance"
Next it was
"Ambulance here, Paramedics working on him" with a perfectly posed, and pouting SELFIE of herself with paramedics in background!!!

I mean?! Surely you have better things to be doing?! My last thought would be to go on social media!!!

I blocked her.

(Btw said child was fine, the 15 other statuses after confirmed that

YANBU. Fine if they say what the problem is, or at least give an indication of the seriousness if it's personal. If they are obviously trying to be all cryptic and mysterious and not replying despite updating other stuff, then they are just attention seeking and best to ignore.

It's tricky as when I was very ill with a blood clot last year I sort of wanted to post it on Facebook, because obviously no one knew I was stuck in hospital very scared, then lonely and bored. I'd have loved a bit of concern and sympathy to be honest but I just didn't want it to come across as attention seeking so I just left it. I wish I had put something in a way as it was a big thing to happen to me and very few people knew.

I think a lot of it can be very attention seeking though, just a vague check in status and a cryptic sad face or similar is clearly put to whip up the 'u ok Hun' brigade.