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Original poster

To think that if my Facebook "friends" really cared about Breast Cancer Awareness they would have liked & shared my status?

63 replies

Balletgirlmum · 21/08/2016 12:20

My feed is full of these obscure 'I'm getting married/going on Masterchef/using my boobs to get out of a speeding ticket statuses" at the moment that are supposed to be raising awareness of breast cancer. You like & comment thinking the status is real then you get sent a PM asking you to do the same.

The very first time this went around years ago with the bra colours it was unique & a bit humourous but it's getting ridiculous now.

So I posted a status stating I'm not getting married & I quite like wearing underwear but I was paying a link to a website showing you how to check your breasts for lumps etc.

So far not one person has liked, commented or shared. If they really cared about raising awareness surely they would promote this and the importance of recognising the early symptoms etc?

OP posts:
Boolovessulley · 21/08/2016 12:50

I don't share things on face book or like these type of messages.

I do however donate to charity, attend charity events and volunteer my time.

I don't advertise any of this on face book.

SusanneLinder · 21/08/2016 12:51

I never ever share those statuses. They do absolutely zilch to raise awareness for breast cancer and are just fucking annoying. Same with those ones that ask people to share if you know someone with Autism, ADHD, blah blah...and then say"I know 97% of my friends won't". Makes me feel stabby. Hmm.
If you REALLY want to raise awareness, share links of how to check your breasts, raise money for charity, or go and do some research about the condition ffs.
And that comes from someone who has family members who have/ have had some of the above conditions. And breathe...

bibbitybobbityyhat · 21/08/2016 12:51

Totally befuddled by this op.

I really care about breast cancer but skim past all the self-important "share if you care statuses" on my FB feed. I don't need to be told how serious it is, how to check for lumps, or how to donate to bc charities because I am a reasonably sentient being.

Perhaps the people who are annoying you on your news feed haven't liked your status because you didn't like theirs. I understand some very silly and petty people behave like that on FB.

Manicmonkey · 21/08/2016 12:54

I don't share anything on face book, those chain letter things annoy me.

BurnTheBlackSuit · 21/08/2016 12:55

I can kind of see your point OP- sharing a picture about how to check yourself for breast problems is a useful thing to do with Facebook- hopefully people will think hmmm, I didn't know that, I'll check myself.

Raising awareness of an illness/condition only works if it tells people something about it. So how to check your breasts or details how autism can manifest itself. "I am sharing a pink ribbon/ the colour of my underwear" posts do nothing to raise awareness- we all know autism, breast cancer etc exists.

The ice bucket challenge was slightly different as it did raise awareness of a little heard of condition and gave people a (very small) glimpse of what it was like. Although in all probability most people never thought about the condition or donating, they just thought it was a funny prank.

mrsfuzzy · 21/08/2016 12:56

worra sounds like the masons with the secrecy thing, balletat least with main stream media tv posters etc the message gets to the masses not just the idiots doing the cryptic messages on fb . but good for you in trying to get the word out there to people and make them aware.

NoFuchsGiven · 21/08/2016 12:56

I scroll pat any status's asking for likes and shares.

BurnTheBlackSuit · 21/08/2016 12:57

Susanne- I think that was the OPs point.

HopefulHamster · 21/08/2016 12:58

I would never do any copy & paste share type post, even a 'genuine' one. I hate being told I don't care if I don't do XYZ.

TwatbadgingCuntfuckery · 21/08/2016 13:00

I don't do armchair activists.

Why are you sharing links hoping someone clicks on it when you could donate your money and time and campaign for things like teaching how to do a breast check, alongside testicle checks, and that they be made compulsory in school health lessons. It could easily be taught alongside the usual lessons on puberty? If we teach kids how to do these checks on a regular basis in school it becomes habit forming and that will significantly reduce the cancer death rates because the chances are it will be picked up earlier.

People are bombarded with 2000+ adverts, status updates, links every single day. Far too many for any normal person with a regular job to keep up with. That I'm not surprised they didn't see, like nor share it.

A link wont change the world. Getting off your arse will.

ADishBestEatenCold · 21/08/2016 13:00

"Well. I'm obviously unreasonable."

You are indeed. Not only unreasonable, you are being really rather judgemental (about what your friends do or do not choose to post or share on their facebook pages).

"They are the ones filling my feed up with these statuses & private messages telling me what to do."

Why don't you adjust you settings accordingly? You are allowing them to fill your news feed with these. You can hardly choose not to adjust your settings to prevent this, and then complain when the service does exactly what it claims to do.

Purplebluebird · 21/08/2016 13:01

Some people see fb as a lighthearted place rather than somewhere you want to read about cancer and "doom and gloom". I certainly want to put cancer at the back of my mind, especially since my mum died from it. We worry enough. I do agree we should all know how to check our breasts for example, but fb isn't necessarily the right place to go about it. I think you're getting your tail in a fluff for very little reason.

Mc314 · 21/08/2016 13:03

I care about breast cancer but I don't want to parade a private or genuine sentiment on facebook. I've donated to various charities but not posted the confirmation text. You know people do that/ they get the text back from the charity and they post it up, look, I did donate. And it's good that they're donating of course but I sometimes look at face book and just feel how differently people do things.

EttaJ · 21/08/2016 13:10

I absolutely loathe the entire repost this and if you don't it means you don't care. Of course we bloody care but it does nothing to stop said illness. I'd rather donate than post for bloody likes which is sad and desperate inmho.

ProseccoBitch · 21/08/2016 13:17

I'm afraid I refuse to share chainmail style Facebook posts. That doesn't mean I don't care about breast cancer or the friends who post them, I just don't like my news feed being clogged up with mountains of stuff that I have to trawl through to see what my mates are up to.

PurpleDaisies · 21/08/2016 13:18

The ice bucket challenge was slightly different as it did raise awareness of a little heard of condition and gave people a (very small) glimpse of what it was like.

Did it? What was it to raise awareness of? I can't remember.

Maybe I'm very cynical but I think the vast majority did it for laughs and the likes on Facebook.

AyeAmarok · 21/08/2016 13:20

I don't think any of them do it because they care about breast cancer awareness, they do it for attention.

This.

There isn't much about your much more sensible post OP that will get them the attention they want/need.

Hinting about the colour of their underwear or not wearing pants or where they like to have sex etc is more likely to get "likes", or photoshopped pics of them being ever so 'brave' by not wearing makeup and all the "OMG you're so beautiful huni xxxxx" comments.

Sad, but that's where we are these days.

WorraLiberty · 21/08/2016 13:21

Please copy and paste this as your status if you know someone, or have heard of someone who knows someone that may know someone who knows anyone. If you don’t know anyone, or even if you’ve heard of anyone who doesn’t know anyone that doesn’t know someone, then still copy this. It’s important to spread the message. Oh, and the hearts.

Original poster
Balletgirlmum · 21/08/2016 13:21

We were on a London theatre trip during the ice bucket stuff. The theatre's raised thousands from cast & crew doing the challenge & collecting post show.

OP posts:
AyeAmarok · 21/08/2016 13:22

Wasn't the ice bucket challenge for Motor Neuron Disease?

How is that like having cold water poured on you? Confused

Most people who did that challenge didn't even donate.

incywincybitofa · 21/08/2016 13:23

From the OP I was paying a link to a website showing you how to check your breasts for lumps etc
Are you linking to that weird charity thing where you have to pay a specified donation to be told how to spot signs of breast cancer?- because that to me is a very uncaring approach to breast cancer.

On the other hand this is a bloody good idea.
campaign for things like teaching how to do a breast check, alongside testicle checks, and that they be made compulsory in school health lessons.

PurpleDaisies · 21/08/2016 13:24

*We were on a London theatre trip during the ice bucket stuff. The theatre's raised thousands from cast & crew doing the challenge & collecting post show.
Well that's entirely different. Raising actual money for a charity is different to this wooly "raising awareness". Seriously, can anyone remember what the ice bucket challenge was for without google?

NeedACleverNN · 21/08/2016 13:25

Nope. I didn't even participate in it either and I can't remember what it was in aid for

All I can remember is the little girl swearing

Original poster
Balletgirlmum · 21/08/2016 13:25

That was a typo. It should have read putting a link.

I googled & found a cancer organisation website that showed with diagrams how to check yourself. I never expected people who don't share any statuses to like or comment.

But I accept I was unreasonable.

OP posts:
Fluffyears · 21/08/2016 13:25

What I hate is they all say 'do not share but copy and paste' why does it matter? I don't share them anyway as they piss me off.