Hospitalization pix on facebook: ok or oversharing?

[Jedana]

I posted a couple pics of DH when he was in the hospital for both his kidney removal and the transplant, per his request. Wouldn't have done it, otherwise.

ETA: I also posted updates, on his FB page and on a Caring Bridge page. The FB page updates were more "he's ok, check the CB page for more specific info". The CB page had the more detailed info. I figured if our friends and family wanted the specific info, they could go there, and the people on our FB pages who wouldn't care wouldn't get the medical stuff.

 

[lauradis]

I personally wouldn't post pics of my sick kid on fb, I might take pic like the one in the bed and send it to my mother to share personally with her. She would want to be there and couldn't so pics are the next best thing to her.

I just don't care what others post on fb. Look and scroll down if not interested. Block and delete if they annoy you too much.

 

[Mkrop]

Oh well I I guess lose mother of the year bc when DS17 dislocated his shoulder in Dec, I took a picture of him in the ER. One to update all family and friends of his injury since it happened at 9pm on Sunday at his basketball game. And two I did it to distract him from the pain he was in while we waited for them to come in to pop it back in. He was totally fine with it.

Now the day of his surgery (torn labrum from dislocation) HE asked me to take a picture of him in his scrubs right before. Once again I did it because he asked and to distract him. He was quite nervous. He asked me not to post it but then he went and sent to all of his friends on Snapchat???? I did post updates to let people know when he was in and out of surgery.

 

[cbellasmomma]

Oversharing. There was an interesting article about how our kids are the generation that has their entire lives recorded on Facebook.

http://itsjosipnotjoseph.com/2010/07/facebook-babies-a-generation-growing-up-online/

 

[Dawnlight]

Attention-seeking, over-sharing IMHO.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Sounds like more parent judging to me. If you aren't interested in something, just scroll past it or unfollow the person.

 

[moon]

Definitely oversharing! There are other ways to let family know, and anyway, no need for pictures. Children deserve respect and privacy. Poor kid!

 

[elaine amj]

I tend to like these types of posts - especially if it's about people I care about who may not have time to keep updating every last person in their circle. If I have news I know extended family and friends will care about, FB is the quickest, easiest way to share it.

But then - I was thrilled when my SIL texted my Mom and I in a group chat throughout her entire labor for hours. It was amazingly wonderful to be able to share that with her even though she's all the way in the UK.

All that said, I do feel there are some occasions where privacy is a good thing. My relatives posted photos of my stepfather's casket - even though it was a private extended family group chat, I was very uncomfortable seeing that.

 

[gwynne]

Sounds like more parent judging to me. If you aren't interested in something, just scroll past it or unfollow the person.

Having different opinions and discussion is acceptable. Certainly if this is uncomfortable, then scroll past is a great suggestion.

 

[elaine amj]

Oversharing. There was an interesting article about how our kids are the generation that has their entire lives recorded on Facebook.

http://itsjosipnotjoseph.com/2010/07/facebook-babies-a-generation-growing-up-online/

I just read the article. Sounds rather like fear-mongering to me. but then - I don't post anything on FB I wouldn't want my mother to see (since we are friends, she can see everything anyway).

I actually happen to like that my babies are "growing up online". It's fabulous to a have a ready-made "baby book" (or "family book" rather) via FB with plenty of wonderful memories that I don't usually take the time to store elsewhere. I'm do primarily post on FB for myself to record my memories - and it's also kinda nice that writing for an audience of family and friends forces me to put a little more thought into my posts as well as remember to take a few more photos.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Having a different opinions and discussion is acceptable. Certainly if this is uncomfortable, then scroll past is a great suggestion.

Sure having different opinions is acceptable but I'm not sure that discussing your (not you, general you) differing opinion on what someone chooses to do with their child is or should be (unless the child is in danger, of course).

 

[verleniahall]

There's someone I unfollowed for doing this. Posted a photo on FB of her dying parent, asleep in a hospital bed. I *know* he would have been horrified. I was speechless. And appalled.

NOw THAT is horrible!! Time and place for everything but that was DEFF not the time or place!

 

[gwynne]

Sure having different opinions is acceptable but I'm not sure that discussing your (not you, general you) differing opinion on what someone chooses to do with their child is or should be (unless the child is in danger, of course).

Some may feel that it's worth discussing (and remembering) that children don't opt in. At any rate, it will be interesting to see how children that are posted about see the experience when they are adults. (And I am primarily talking about overshares...not the occasional happy birthday photo.)

 

[moon]

Oh well I I guess lose mother of the year bc when DS17 dislocated his shoulder in Dec, I took a picture of him in the ER. One to update all family and friends of his injury since it happened at 9pm on Sunday at his basketball game. And two I did it to distract him from the pain he was in while we waited for them to come in to pop it back in. He was totally fine with it.

Now the day of his surgery (torn labrum from dislocation) HE asked me to take a picture of him in his scrubs right before. Once again I did it because he asked and to distract him. He was quite nervous. He asked me not to post it but then he went and sent to all of his friends on Snapchat???? I did post updates to let people know when he was in and out of surgery.

Your son asked you to do it. I may scratch my head a little bit as why people want to have these kind of pictures posted, but hey, no problem.

It's pictures of people who didn't and can't consent to post that make me livid. It is a huge invasion of privacy.

When my grandfather died -long before Facebook- there where family who lived abroad and couldn't attend the funeral. I took pictures of the funeral, the casket, etc. so they could be there in a way, but I made sure my grandfather didn't appear in any of them. I know he wouldn't have wanted that, and I would have never disrespected him by taking a picture of him when he was unable to consent to it

 

[WowLookAtThat]

Oversharing and intrusive. I hate my picture being on Facebook even when I look fine, I would hate to think of a picture of me sick online.

 

[JanaDee]

Oh well I I guess lose mother of the year bc when DS17 dislocated his shoulder in Dec, I took a picture of him in the ER. One to update all family and friends of his injury since it happened at 9pm on Sunday at his basketball game. And two I did it to distract him from the pain he was in while we waited for them to come in to pop it back in. He was totally fine with it.

Now the day of his surgery (torn labrum from dislocation) HE asked me to take a picture of him in his scrubs right before. Once again I did it because he asked and to distract him. He was quite nervous. He asked me not to post it but then he went and sent to all of his friends on Snapchat???? I did post updates to let people know when he was in and out of surgery.

Your son asked you to take pictures and is old enough to consent to have them posted (when I say consent, I mean to his Mom, not legally). That isn't what the OP is talking about.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Some may feel that it's worth discussing (and remembering) that children don't opt in. At any rate, it will be interesting to see how children that are posted about see the experience when they are adults. (And I am primarily talking about overshares...not the occasional happy birthday photo.)

How is a birthday photo so much different? The child didn't consent to that either.

 

[gwynne]

How is a birthday photo so much different? The child didn't consent to that either.

I think most might differentiate between highly personal photos (illness play by play, potty training as it happens, etc) and a birthday snapshot.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I think most might differentiate between highly personal photos (illness play by play, potty training as it happens, etc) and a birthday snapshot.

I guess my point is if the problem is sharing a photo without the person's consent, it shouldn't matter what the photo is.

 

[Miskey]

I think people are over-generalizing this. In the PARTICULAR incident that the OP is talking about, it definitely seems to me like mom should have been paying more attention to her kid than posting on facebook.