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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Constant cryptic posts

35 replies

Idliketoteachtheworldtosing1 · 13/03/2018 09:19

This really drives me nuts, three people have posted stupid cryptic posts.
1 checked in at the local hospital, 1 said "I am so pissed off with certain people" and 1 simply said "suicidal".
Cue lots of what's up hun and two of them haven't replied.
The suicidal one I've private messaged as well and even messaged her sister as I am so worried, I'm waiting to hear from the sister as she was going round there first thing.
The hospital one after every reply is telling people she'll pm them.
I can't be the only one that sees this as blatant attention seeking, I don't understand it, if you check in to hospital and people are showing genuine concern which is what you clearly want why on earth would you reply to each comment "I'll pm you hun"? Maybe I'm just getting grouchy as I get older!

OP posts:
SmashedMug · 13/03/2018 09:30

You mean... people attention seek on a platform that's basically designed for attention seeking?! Who'd have thunk it Grin

Motoko · 13/03/2018 10:50

It is attention seeking. They know that people will want to know what's happened if they don't say what. It's the air of mystery that that gets people's attention.

Saying "Just checked in to hospital" sounds more interesting than saying "At the hospital to have my bunions looked at".

The suicide one though is probably a cry for help and should be taken seriously.

LifeBeginsAtGin · 13/03/2018 10:58

They are probably just as 'attention seeking' and irritating in real life.

DonttouchthatLarry · 13/03/2018 11:02

I never like or comment on such posts - if you want to tell me, tell me, I'm not going to ask.

SomeKnobend · 13/03/2018 11:07

Tbf, the suicidal one might just be feeling suicidal. Fb is an outlet for your emotions. Maybe they don't know what else to do with their desperately sad feelings. Bit unfair to lump them in with the pm you hun brigade.

Shadow666 · 13/03/2018 11:10

I have 2 Facebook friends who are notorious for Vaguebooking. They both have mental health problems. I put one on ignore. The other one is trying, I think.

Shadow666 · 13/03/2018 11:11

I mean trying to overcome her issues. The one I put on ignore also posts dozens of alternative medicine shares every day as well as the vaguebooking.

MarklahMarklah · 13/03/2018 11:13

I know some people like this:
"You really find out who your true friends are..."
"So tired of this."
"No again!"

It's usually someone whose (unreliable) car has broken down again. I've so far resisted the urge to post "why don't you scrap it and get one that works?" or they've had a falling-out with someone over something trivial.
The friends I have who truly have mental health problems (bi-polar, depression, etc) tend not to post for ages, which is my cue to send them a PM to check in and see if they need a handhold.
I've hidden a lot of people lately. Particularly one who seemed to take it as a personal loss when David Bowie died. They held an all-night vigil, posted a months' worth of shite about 'their' loss, and posted a photo of a shrine they'd created in their home. FWIW this person doesn't have MH problems, just common-sense issues.

Birdshitbridgegotme · 13/03/2018 11:34

The worst is.....thus girl is gonna get knocked out if she carries on...cue lots of who? And then she goes I'll private message u!.. .seriously if u really would do it why hide the fact from who u are talking about hahhaa.
The other one is....people need to stop gwtting up in my business.... .....well how about u stop blasting your business on social media then people may realise its not okay to u to get involved!
These are just two examples of why i stepped away from social media! Hah

Motoko · 13/03/2018 12:20

It's not social media, it's the people who you follow on there. I only know about these sorts of posts from other people who mention them. I've never actually come across it myself.

Oooeeeerrrrrindeed · 13/03/2018 12:24

The suicidal one would concern me. Generally people don't share their more negative emotions as when your raw it rubs the salt in to have no responses or people making light off.
I hate the serial "vaguebookers" and tend to remove their updates.

cucaracha · 13/03/2018 12:27

If it's cryptic, I'd ignore.

The "checking in at hospital", I might ask about, but I accept that it wasn't directed at me. People use social media as a way to update friends and families, so people who know what's going on, will know it's just an update.

The "suicidal" is either sarcastic, following a bagel emergency at work (it happens), or pure attention seeking and I would unfollow that person.

LeighaJ · 13/03/2018 14:46

I kind of figure that if they have time to update their FB status about going to the hospital then it's probably not an emergency.

I go to the hospital all the time...cuz that's where the antenatal clinic is. Grin

ebonyandivory · 14/03/2018 20:58

"Suicidal" IMO ahould always be taken seriously. Regardless of whether the person saying it was attention seeking or whatever. What I really can't stand is the vague ones like "Uggh. Feeling so low today". I do not see them so much as atttention seeking, just annoying as I then feel compelled to ask them what's up? My friends that post these are generally lovely people and I want to be there for them but I wish they would either be more explicit in their status or actually message me or some other close friend what their issue is!

ebonyandivory · 14/03/2018 21:00

LeighaJ I do not know about that, in my area A and E waiting times are horrendously long. Plenty of time to go on FB.

Flockoftreegulls · 14/03/2018 21:40

You need to join the U OK Hun? Facebook page.

Shedmicehugh1 · 14/03/2018 21:48

I love the ‘I am going to cull my friends list’ 🙄 met with ‘oh no, I hope it’s not me’

Oh please do fuck off!

windchimesabotage · 14/03/2018 21:48

I find that U OK Hun page quite cruel. Sometimes its funny when they point out how ridiculous some people who are trying to be mean are.
But often they are making fun of quite vulnerable people who dont really mean any harm but dont express themselves very well.

I have a few friends who 'vaguebook' but they all suffer from issues such as substance misuse or mental health issues. One also had an abusive partner.
Facebook can be a way for some people to reach out if they feel trapped or have an extreme emotion.
Its not what I would personally do but to mock other people for doing it is pretty horrible. Not everyone has the real life support around them or has had the education in how to express themselves that other people have.

Just unfollow and ignore if you dont like it.
Yes it is often attention seeking but there are many reasons why that person may need attention.
To be honest I feel lucky to be relatively emotionally stable and able to not behave in this way. I dont think im somehow superior because I know some peoples lives are very difficult and always have been and have led them to attention seek in that manner.

CoffeeCakePlease · 14/03/2018 21:54

Suicidal posts are totally different kettle of fish...but the 'cryptic' "I'm not having it anymore, SOMEONE is getting a piece of my mind next time I see them" make me howl with laughter. If only there was a 'nobody bloody cares' button.

Funniest one I remember seeing was years ago one of my friends 'liked' someone else's status (so it came up on my feed) that read "OK people the secret's out, i'm pregnant again, all the talk round town was true" - this woman was around 21 and this was her 5th child with a 5th different man...made me chuckle how she made out like she was a local celeb finally admitting to those 'baby rumours' (a la Daily Fail).

mineofuselessinformation · 14/03/2018 21:58

If some posts genuinely are a cry for help - I saw one recently that I ignored because I knew other people would be in the case.
But, the casual 'just checked into hospital' digest up my nose. Either stop being so mysterious or don't post.
I was quite open about my prolapse surgery when I had it.... Yes, I needed some support, but was honest about what was going on.

ebonyandivory · 14/03/2018 22:03

windchimessabotage I love your post and agree 100 per cent. I hate all these website pages where someone's statuses are screenshot and then made public for everyone to laugh at. Pure bullying.

Barbie222 · 14/03/2018 22:04

Look up U Ok Hun on Facebook for some light relief if you find you are seeing lots from the hunny hun huns.

Icomehereseekingpeas · 14/03/2018 22:07

I dislike the ones who are the opposite of vaguebooking.
The ones who go out of their way to post every detail of their love life all over fb like some low-grade tell-tale gossip rag. And it's usually my female 'friends' shaming their other halves or whatever with things like 'what is it with men? They're all cheating scum bags' or words to that effect. Then when people comment on it they go in to explicit detail about what the man in question has done (usually something very shitty but still...).

But yet they take him back and he inevitably fucks up again only for it to be aired all over Facebook again and so the cycle continues. A couple of my female 'friends' are like this. I had to unfollow.

Ffs if he's a such a twat ditch him and put that shit in a diary! Ffs!

ebonyandivory · 14/03/2018 22:11

Icomehereseekingpeas My pet hate is when people post what they have had for every meal. Or every score they have had on Candy Crush or whatever the latest thing is these days. I owuld never make fun of these people but yeah, posts like that are boring.

Shedmicehugh1 · 14/03/2018 22:25

I think everyone should post what or paraphrase what their last FB status was

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