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?

[e1y1]

Should be a rule, if you're well enough to be posting on FB, you're well enough not to be in the hospital

[LilacInn]

Simpleminded attention whoring.
Very few people "need" to know when one is ill or in hospital.

[ConfuciousSayWhat]

e1y1 sometimes though you need to be in hospital but are bored rigid waiting for tests or can't sleep because of snoring or are restless and scared and lonely due to pain or your child is asleep wiped out on pain relief

Doing something like playing around on Facebook can be a welcomed distraction in those times

[PortiaCastis]

People managed to communicate before fb came along.

[nuttymango]

I always ignore them as they are attention seeking. A friend of mine posts pictures of her DCs in just pants or nappies and that appalls me, how is that appropriate ???

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

It's something to do isn't it, especially when you might appreciatea bit of attention and concern.
Agree though that it's a bit frustrating if they don't say what's up.
I think it's good for hospitals to be kept accountable for the care they give too rather than everything going on behind closed doors.
And yes, I've worked as a student nurse myself so I do understand the pressures a bit too.
When I hada stay on the post-natal ward I could have done with more company and connection with the outside world.

[Summerwood1]

It is a weird thing to do. Nothing is private now. I k ow someone that does this regularly. Says she's in hospital etc and all the 'hope you're ok hun) Photo of her in bed with hospital tag on. I just wouldn't. I would let the people closest to me know but not the world of FB.

[Doggity]

I think it's normal in this day and age to use Facebook to communicate to a wide circle of people. Often, you're scared and poorly, so even a message saying "thinking of you" can make all the difference. Plus, you might not feel like sending a mass text or responding individually. Being in hospital for long periods especially in a ward is hell on earth. I wouldn't deny anyone a bit of attention or extra sympathy.

There's a subset of people though who use it for attention but feck knows why. People who are being all vague and attention seeking tend to do in all areas of their lives, especially online, so you know who they are anyway. Rough rule but if they're not giving info and have a history of checking in and being vague, I tend to think they're visiting grant who's broken her hip or going for an X-ray of their toe.

Unmumsnetty hugs to all those who do have to spend lots of time in hospital. I'm sure no decent person would begrudge you a Facebook update and some kind words.

[PortiaCastis]

Boiled Fart I deactivated my fb over a year ago for the same reasons as you. If I want to talk to someone I'll call them or text. The nickname facebrag is very appropriate

[WibblyWobblyJellyHead]

I took a serious overdose on Thursday and was let out of hospital yesterday. I was quite out of it, couldn't walk or speak and kept trying to hug the nurses but I could type.

So I updated FB to let people know what had happened and that I was going to be ok as I knew lots of people would have heard rumours.

I'm still not ok, obviously, but everyone's supportive messages have really helped me at a very dark time. I wasn't suicidal, I was delusional (I thought taking all my med would give me superpowers).

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

Wibbly, presumably your FB is full of genuine friends? Otherwise I think that is a risky thing to do when you're not feeling the best. There are no 'brakes' on what people post on a platform like that.

How would people hear rumours about you? Surely your friends/family wouldn't indulge in spreading those about you?

[WibblyWobblyJellyHead]

It's 99% genuine friends yes. One of my closest friends (who lives the other side of the country from me) had called the ambulance and somebody had found DHs number through another friend, plus I wasn't sure how much my family knew.

It seemed the easiest way to let everybody know I was ok, I had wifi but no signal for texts.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

That explains it. Hope you're soon on the mend, Wibbly

[Watto1]

I think brief Facebook updates when you are in hospital are fine. Friends can be kept updated easily. However, just checking in with no further details can scare the shit out of people.

One of the mums at school actually checked in at the crematorium last week. I thought that was incredibly inappropriate.

[DownWithThisSortaThing]

Yeah checking in at a crematorium is inappropriate imo. People can grieve however they like but ffs, it's disrespectful to whip your phone out at a funeral and update Facebook. It just seems so trivial when you're supposed to be there paying respects to the dead.

[SeymourButtz]

I must admit to hating the hospital updates, social media is the last thing on my mind when my family have been ill or injured enough to require A&E or admission but each to their own.
Vague statuses and the million unanswered "U ok huns" used to drive me to distraction. Deleted facebook in the end.
Genuine question to those who say they do update statuses to get a message across to a large group, I'm curious as to why would you not just do a group private message? That would be my choice in a situation such as hospital admission, but I'm a fairly private person and I understand it's different strokes for different folks.

[Muskateersmummy]

I wouldn't do a group message as I would be bound to forget someone. Easier to update the status then everyone sees it, no one gets forgotten.

[SeymourButtz]

Fair point Muskateersmummy.

[MintyChapstick]

Nothing wrong with updating you're status telling people that you've been unwell and had tests at hospital, but there is something wrong with a tag of yourself at A&E and a very vague comment about being in agony or hoping everything is ok, it is attention seeking IMO and that's what at im referring to in the OP.

[YouOKHun]

'Devastated'
'You OK Hun??'
'Can't talk about it'
Shall I pm you Hun?? Hugz.

Or you could just keep it private.

I don't mind information 'I'm at A&E because such and such happened' but it's the cryptic shit that irritates me; the 'ouch'. I never respond to fishing for attention posts. I'm not very good with 'Hun' either but then again, I'm quite grumpy about a lot of things...

[RaspberryOverload]

I disagree it's attention seeking.

I know one specific person who checks into hospitals, simply because it's the quickest and easiest way of keeping family/friends up to date without having to phone them all the time or having them phone him all the time. Espcially as the family/friends are scattered around the world.

[GladAllOver]

For people who live their lives through Facebook it seems quite reasonable to say they are in hospital. They post about every other boring little incident, why should hospital be any different?

[MyLlamasGoneBananas]

I always check in. Until recently I've been there at least once a week. MoSt people know it was due my cancer and treatment I also check into Costa whenever we go. On Friday I checked into my go surety and then Dunrlm cafe.
I tend to check in just to pass the time. I also like looking back when my memories come up and think - oh this time last year I was still undiagnosed or omg it's a year/2 years since I was at x y z.

[WiddlinDiddlin]

Vaguebooking - intentionally vague attention seeky status updates with vague hints at problems/trauma/disaster but no actual deails - generally bloody annoying and YANBU..

However, I have updated FB from hospital to let folks who only keep in touch via FB know where I am because I know just going silent on them WILL worry them - am never vague about why I am there though, nor generally 'woe is me' (If i do post a 'i hate all this shit life sucks' post I make it v clear exactly what thats about and why!)..

So if thats annoying you then yes you are being unreasonable.