to find these types of Facebook posts really offensive?

[80sMum]

I see this sort of thing all the time and what's really surprising is that they are posted and shared by people who should know better. One of my FB friends is a nurse - and she's shared this rubbish today!

Why do people do this? Do they really think that the rest of us (the 97% who don't share) think that cancer is great or that we don't care about our friends and family (or total strangers) who have, or have had, or have died from cancer? It really irritates me!

And another thing! A cancer sufferer is not in a "battle", they are just trying to get the best treatment they can and hoping for a good outcome. To call it a battle implies that if you don't fight hard enough, you lose.

I find these posts appallingly insensitive and terribly childish.

Does anyone else agree, or am I just a grumpy old woman who's BU?

acknowledging It's not a competition:
For me there are many worse things than cancer.
If you want to tug my heart strings, talk about horrendous violence & war. Nothing is worse than that. Especially perpetuated against children.

I don't have energy to care about sodding cancer, too.

Are you aware of DIPG?

no, but that post hasn't taught me anything about DIPG either though

Agree

so you mentioned DIPG, so I googled it

A diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a tumour located in the pons (middle) of the brain stem. The brain stem is the bottommost portion of the brain, connecting the cerebrum with the spinal cord.

so now I am aware of it

For me there are many worse things than cancer.
and that's fine, but I can see a difference between willingly ignoring posts on social media and actively complaining about them.

I have of course seen these posts on my newsfeed, but so far they have come from people who just lost close relative to cancer, or are in the middle of it. Who am I to judge what they chose to share?

I absolutely hate them. Most of my fb friends had posted things like that at one stage or another. Ironically I'm currently fundraising for cancer research and have posted the link to my giving page on fb ...guess how many of my friends donated..none!.

thelastredwinegum - got it in one!

Aside from the whole "battle" thing (yes thanks, clearly my mum did die from not fighting hard enough, yep no other reason) this really pissed me off. A lot of people seem to think sharing something on FB is a proxy for DOING something. So, they don't need to donate to charity because they've shared a pic, they don't need to give blood because they've clicked like on some pithy post they found. Armchair activists basically, and it really hacks me off!

Alabama3

just add 9 months survival rate from diagnostic
0% survival rate
Mainly kids between 5 and 10

No treatment progress achieved in the last 30 years
Next to no funding for research

Now you are aware. You can ignore, but reading this, others will become aware too.

cucaracha

I think you are missing the point of the thread, I'm aware of DIPG now because we are personally interacting

sharing a crappy picture on facebook doesn't cause interaction, a post from you did

They aren't just sharing... they're putting an emotionally manipulative message into the message, trying to pull a guilt trip that folk shouldn't be in the 97% who don't re-post, and buy into insinuation that being in the 97% is bad. Else why post "Let's see who does" repost this, like someone should keep F'ing tabs.

Friend got breast cancer treatment last year. It's gut-wrenching b/c she's so lovely & the the third person in our social circle to get breast cancer (the others died. :( ). She wouldn't post guilt-trip tripe.

Now you are aware. You can ignore, but reading this, others will become aware too

I already know about it because i know someone with it

Family would not appreciate their friends posting the meme on Facebook as they wouldnt be passing it on and therefore 'wouldnt care'

Its not the information...that can be vital especially symptoms. Its the way people are just posting some trite shit

Oooh no

What lljkk said

Thats really what i mean (and others have made the same point)

I don't think I am missing the point, by posting some short info, you do raise awareness among your friends. You can chose to ignore of course. I also disagree that the posts are offensive.

I have 2 friends of mine dealing with breast cancer at the moment, they both post something in a similar tone to the OP's picture. I don't think all their contacts are aware they are undergoing treatment at the moment however.

Some people are attention seeking, but not all of them are.

But how has that meme raised awareness of DIPG, it diesnt even mention it

A post saying 'a dear friend has a type of cancer that does nit have much funding please donate to this charity' would be much more useful surely

Really not having a pop i just dont get it

I don't think I am missing the point, by posting some short info, you do raise awareness among your friends

where on the picture on the op does it give any info?? the picture says 'cancer nothing else

I don't mind people posting info, how to spot signs, reminders to check your breast and links to fundraising sites. What the op is talking about are these passive aggressive posts that try to shame people into sharing nonsense. There's nothing informative about them. Similar to those daft inboxes I receive about 3 times a year ' it's that time of year again..what colour is your handbag! Shhh don't tell the men' and somehow this is meant to raise awareness for great cancer. When I get those I post information instead.

Breast...not great.

There is a song on youtube by Weird Al Yankovic called Stop Forwarding this Crap to Me which I am seriously thinking of posting on my FB page. If I was more technology savvy I would post the youtube link but if you have a moment it is worth a listen.

of course, this one wasn't about DIPG, I was just making the point that we don't all know about cancer.

The OP post might be more of a rant, a reminder that people are going through with that, and as you say, we all know about cancer so we all know about donating. I don't have cancer, I don't know what my friends are going through right now!

I just don't believe that all these posts are attention seeking, and that they are offensive.

*sorry, meant we don't all know about ALL cancer
but we all know about some of them.. I am not very clear

These posts are spammy scams. They're no different to the fake offers but they play emotional blackmail by talking about things people will have personal bad experiences of in order to get them clicking. They raise little awareness. Once the page originator has generated enough likes or shares, they sell the page on to others who at best want to sell you stuff or at worst want lots of data for potentially bad things. Don't share them or like them. If you want to raise awareness of an issue write a post yourself.

This blog explains it.

www.thatsnonsense.com/repost-this-if-you-have-a-heart-emotional-extortion-on-facebook/

of course, this one wasn't about DIPG

Well i know

Its not about any cancer, its not mentioning symptoms or giving links to charitys or anything

If someone just posts the meme then they are heading into twatdom

If they post the meme with extra information then you could agrue they are sharing the information

I think the OP is pissed off with people who just do the first one

I hate these posts so much. I hate the “I know who will share and who won’t” nonsense. And to trivialise something like cancer in this way. Just horrid.

Are you aware of DIPG?

I wasn't, but I just googled. Wouldn't it be more useful to post something about DIPG rather than a random heart or selfie? Signs to look for, a link to donate?