To think Facebook 'marking yourself safe' option is overused?

[iismum]

Sure, it's fantastic if, for example, you were at the Ariane Grande concert or it you spend a lot of time in the vicinity of London Bridge and there was a real chance you might have got caught up in the terror attacks and people would genuinely worry. But I feel like people obsessively marking themselves safe just because they live within 20 miles of the event when there was practically no chance they were involved just feeds the general hysteria and makes people feel that no one is safe.

To be honest, I was not beside myself worrying if my friend in leafy south-west London who probably crosses London Bridge twice a year was safe. What happened is horrendous, but 6 people died. Practically everyone in London is safe. I feel like people's need to mark themselves safe is increasing the impact of these attacks when we should be trying to do the opposite.

It might seem odd that people who don't live in London mark themselves safe, but people who don't live in London travel there for lots of reasons. I live in South Wales but I happened to be in London last night for a concert. When I woke up this morning I had numerous missed calls and text messages from friends and family who knew I was in London and who wanted to know I'm ok. I marked myself safe on Facebook then because otherwise I would have had even more messages throughout the day from people who also don't live in London and don't really have any concept of the distance between Stratford (where I was at the gig) and London Bridge.

HarrietKettle, yes, I agree with you. That's what makes this cringey rather than useful. Just get on with it, donate blood in the usual way, you'd be asked if your blood were especially needed as you'd be on the register.

This kind of 'Happy to donate' and stating your blood type is attention-seeking, nothing less. You don't need a standing ovation (or 'likes') for every tiny thing.

Lying no, I don't think so.
I have around 30 nieces and nephews.(My OH is the youngest of 12 children, all but one of his siblings has 2+ children, one has 10)
I would care very much if any of them were injured or killed.
I am one of around 20 aunties they would have to ring to tell me they are safe.
Surely its simpler for them to check into FB so we can all see they are ok?

Nope @NavyandWhite saw her at our local shops yesterday evening! Had a quick chat, she was off home to watch BGT

He definitely couldn't ring Lying phone communication was nil, at the time he wasn't on FB (it was few years ago) - so not relevant in his case but I take your point about if one works the other will.

I suppose the safe status on FB means you can get info out to a lot of people all at once instead of having to field loads of phone calls, from bumpkins like me who don't know where anywhere is in London and might be phoning thinking you could be near the area of attack.

My sister said someone from Norwich marked they were safe.

They weren't even in London

Yabu. If you live overseas like me and don't hear the news until everyone will definitely be in bed asleep it's quite reassuring. Likely no one I knew would be there but I couldn't be sure as don't know where exactly my friends and family will be on a given day. I love that function and am grateful for those who used it. No harm done.

On the news as the events were unfolding last night people were being urged to use the 'I'm safe' facility on FB - I think that came from the police, so many people were just doing what they had been told was the right thing to do.

MrsDV... or nephew/niece could ring their own parent and leave it to them to pass on the news to everybody else?

Of course you'd care, it hardly needs saying. We all care about our loved ones.

I admit to using the FB thing because people were asking me.
It was a simple thing to do.
Every time one of my friends checked in I was genuinely relieved.
To me its a low key way of letting people know you are safe. No need for announcements late night/early morning phone calls.
Just a click.

I can absolutely see why someone in Skegness doing it would raise eyebrows but not if the person lives or works in London.

I think the marking safe (when unnecessary) people probably fall into the Venn diagram of second by second updates of events, "praying for London" memes and well thought out and erudite "London bridge Now! Fuck fuck fuck!" MN posts.

S'all about them.

It's possibly useful in a very large scale situation.

Otherwise it's drama lama scenario.

I have people on FB stating they won't go into London for the foreseeable future because of terrorism. Ridiculous.

YABU I live in Central London. We obviously are safe but 80% of my FB friends are not in the UK. Some don't know the proximity of our home to the attacks and they just want to make sure that we are safe as a matter of course. I mark it as a courtesy to them and because I don't like being asked if I am ok.

No drama here. I'm glad FB has this option.

We all care about our loved ones
No need to be passive aggressive.
If you want to say 'I think you are implying you care more about your family than I or anyone else does'
Just say it.
You would still sound stupid but at least you would be honest.

And no, why on earth would it be easier for one woman to make dozens of phone calls than it would be for someone to click on FB? You are suggesting that each family member receiving 20+ calls in a night to say 'Jon wasn't there, Sarah was there but is fine, Carol was on her way but changed her mind. Sonia is going to call you about Sondra, Alan, Paul and Archie. I have to go I still have to call Petra, Colin, George, Alice, Mark, Jane and Henry' is SIMPLER than going 'click'
You are not making any sense

Or maybe you are thinking of some sort of phone tree arrangement?

I did say currently not in London though @NavyandWhite, thought that was pretty self-explanatory to be honest so I didn't feel the need to break down her movements until you asked

Yanbu. A friend who lives 20 miles away and would not be in central London at night tagged herself as safe this morning. Maybe I should do the same! I'm amazed my mother hasn't phoned to check if I'm ok.

Surely you would ring family or they would ring you?

Friend in Ipswich tagged themself which I did think was ridiculous.

If they don't normally live anywhere near London, then I agree. However, my niece and nephew who live in London both marked themselves safe this morning which I was extremely grateful to see. The are both in early 20's and seem to move frequently so I have absolutely no idea which bit of London they actually live in (they don't live together incidentally) but they are fairly central I think.

I also texted my friend locally whose daughter is at Uni in London to check she had heard from her - friend was actually in London visiting until yesterday. She replied that her DD was safe and that they had accounted for all occupants of their student flat by 07.30 today.

If you live well away from London you don't always understand the geography of the place nor realise just how big it is. So I can quite understand people from other places stressing about relatives who live somewhere near London.