Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

People posting picture of their ill children

262 replies

Notsowifeymaterial · 10/03/2017 13:28

So normally when I'm browsing on fb and see someone's posted a picture of their child on the sofa or in bed captioned aw my poorly baby 😢 I usually ignore it or if it's a friend I'll comment hope they feel better soon etc.
But yesterday someone on my friends list posted a picture of their child actually on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance captioned poor baby off to hospital. He's struggling to breathe.
I was imaging the scenario as this..
Paramedic - right ok we need to get this child to the hospital right now. Mum are you ready?
Mum - hang on can you just step back a sec whilst I take a photo.
Paramedic - umm.....
Mum - ok I'll just take one more so I can see which is best, ok got it. Hmm should I apply a filter. Which one will get me more likes do you think? shows paramedic the photos
Paramedic - um I'm sorry miss but we do really need to get to the hospital?
Mum - right of course. Let's go. Does the ambulance have wifi so I can post it on Facebook?
paramedic internally facepalms
BTW the child ended up being fine and is now home.
Aibu to think that that's just inappropriate for a mother to do?

OP posts:
hazeyjane · 10/03/2017 13:42

I have quite a lot of friends on FB who have children who are frequently in hospital, so am probably coming at it from a different perspective, but most of the times there are pictures from hospital and the like, it is because the carer is looking for some emotional support or relief from the worry/stress/boredom that comes from frequent hospital visits.

I think your dramatic reconstruction is a bit overdone really.

Bibs2014 · 10/03/2017 13:43

I hate it! One of my FB friends posted 10 times at different points of the day about her 4 year old having a circumcision! Shock

WorraLiberty · 10/03/2017 13:43

It always makes me laugh when these parents object to others posting/tagging them in photos of a night out, because they weren't given the chance to 'pre-approve' them.

Yeah, explain that to your child when they're old enough to understand how little you thought of their privacy while they were growing up.

liz70 · 10/03/2017 13:44

I do think that with just about everyone having mobiles now, and so many people using SM, that it's just become normal to them, something done without thinking. A symptom of modern life. I'm sure there were things we did in say, the 60s and 70s, that would shock Victorians and Edwardians. Telephones would have been thought of by some as crass and vulgar, and unlikely to catch on. Ditto television etc...

Witchend · 10/03/2017 13:46

It takes less than a second to take a photo with these modern cameras you know. The days where you had to stay still for ages are way past.

It's a quick way of basically telling people "this is why I won't be at XX this evening".

And if my ds was going in an ambulance I suspect he would be very pleased to have a photo of it afterwards as he (in retrospect) would think it's a very exciting thing to have done.

RhodaBorrocks · 10/03/2017 13:46

My DS was rushed by ambulance to hospital with suspected meningitis once. In the back of the ambulance we were both laying on the gurney, him on top of me. Even in the state he was in he said "I've never been in an ambulance, can we take a selfie?" The signs in the ambulance said no photos of equipment or crew, but the paramedic said it was OK.

I took the selfie because at that point i would have done anything for him. And all I could think at that time was "this might be the last one".

He's fine BTW. It was just a virus going round our area that was bringing out a very suspect rash.

downwardfacingdog · 10/03/2017 13:46

Y might bu, but if you are I am too. I can't really articulate what annoys me about it so much. I think it's using your child's misfortune to get attention /sympathy for yourself. I'm not sure, but I find it irrationally infuriating!

TheOnlyLivingToyInNewYork · 10/03/2017 13:48

Also the picture was clearly taken as the mum was stood outside the ambulance as the doors were open

Ridiculous to assume she was slowing down progress though. The last time (of many) my DS was in the ambulance, we were there 45 mins before setting off to hospital. I could have taken 500 photos if I wanted (I didn't).

troodiedoo · 10/03/2017 13:49

As I've mentioned in other threads today, it's standard in today's culture of over sharing.

You could just write a status but that is liable to get ignored. Best add a dramatic photo for maximum "you OK hun?"s.

leghoul · 10/03/2017 13:49

Instead of getting annoyed I'd work on feeling fortunate that I'm not in that situation myself. I agree, people can actually think 'it might be the last picture' (been there, though didn't post it on Facebook however but now grateful I have photos)

bibbitybobbityyhat · 10/03/2017 13:49

It is attention seeking, pure and simple.

If you can't be somewhere due to your child being sick in hospital, then text that person.

Littlepiglittlepig3letmeIN · 10/03/2017 13:51

Perhaps they use FB for emotional support. Some people genuinely need the feedback they get from social media.

Really?
How did people manage to get through the day (and life in general) before social media?

SoupDragon · 10/03/2017 13:51

Some people have a distorted sense of reality nowadays as to what is acceptable

Some people have a distorted sense of reality nowadays as to what is actually their business.

Would I do it? Probably not at all but denfinitey not until I was sure my child was OK. However, I only have close friends and family on FB, not all and sundry, so they tend to care.

TiredMumToTwo · 10/03/2017 13:52

YANBU, my best friend took a picture of her kid as he was being loaded into the air ambulance & later posted on FB. I couldn't for the life of me think how in that situation your thought process would include - I'll take a quick pic?!!

SoupDragon · 10/03/2017 13:53

How did people manage to get through the day (and life in general) before social media?

You could say that about all modern technology etc.

TheStoic · 10/03/2017 13:54

How did people manage to get through the day (and life in general) before social media?

They had better connections with people in real life.

Littlepiglittlepig3letmeIN · 10/03/2017 13:55

I'm not surprised.
this is a generation who can't even eat a meal without taking a picture of it first.

Owllady · 10/03/2017 13:55

I don't think it's appropriate in an emergency situation either.
However, I think when you are in hospital day after day it's rather different. I have always found it a real struggle being in hospital with my children. I wouldn't have taken photos for attention :o but I have posted exasperated by the hospital situation at the time (not on here or Facebook fwiw)

TheOnlyLivingToyInNewYork · 10/03/2017 13:55

They had better connections with people in real life

There is no evidence to suggest that is true whatsoever.

Starlight2345 · 10/03/2017 13:55

I took pic of my DS in hospital..It was the middle of the night..We were both bored and tired..We also used an app that made him look funny. He was in surgery the next day..I posted a picture of him not looking happy at all and looking very unwell as it was the quickest and easiest way to tell everyone he was out of surgery and recovering.

Littlepiglittlepig3letmeIN · 10/03/2017 13:57

How did people manage to get through the day (and life in general) before social media?

They had better connections with people in real life

Because they were busy living life instead of recording it.

Owllady · 10/03/2017 13:57

I'm glad he's ok Rhoda :)
It's like a box on wheels isn't it?

TheStoic · 10/03/2017 13:58

There is no evidence to suggest that is true whatsoever.

There is plenty.

SoupDragon · 10/03/2017 13:58

Surely you can see the irony in compaining about people using social media whilst using social media?

Justwantcookies · 10/03/2017 13:58

YANBU Its massively inappropriate. Poor little mite, last thing he/she needs is mum taking a bloody picture.

Its for attention, thats the only reason I can think why people do it. same for the ones that 'check in' at hospital FFS and then dont give any details. Its so they can get all the 'oooo hope everything ok' 'Oh no whats wrong' posts.

Fine to announce an update like, - had a bit of a scare today little X fell out the tree and broke his arm. And then post a picture of little X smiling with his plaster cast on after having a nice bag of chocolates for being brave. But loads of people I know would most likely post the one of little X laying stricken and crying at the base of the tree whilst the paramedics check for a broken neck!